Council ‘disappointed’ by Cock Bridge sign thieves
And other stories from the stranger side of life

The Scottish village of Cock Bridge has got so tired of people pinching its suggestive signs that the local council is producing “tamper proof” place names. Saucy souvenir fans have regularly been targeting road signs, and – ironically – those of the bizarrely-named neighbouring village of Lost, officials say. Aberdeenshire Council said it is “disappointing” that the saucy souvenir hunters keep stealing Cock Bridge place names, adding that it is producing “more robust ‘tamper proof’ fixings”.
Man tries to sell his landlord’s house
A man who tried to flog his landlord’s £400,000 house without his knowledge has been jailed for two and a half years. Andrew Smith came close to “swindling” a potential buyer of the three-bedroom house, said The Independent, even renting show-home furniture for viewings. Detective Constable Dan Harper from Cambridgeshire Constabulary said: “This is an almost unbelievable and truly brazen crime.”
Valuable ring left in cupboard
A £30,000 Celtic ring was left in a cupboard for decades by an owner unaware of its value, reported The Times. After being found in 1994 in a field near Knaresborough, the gold ring, which was made roughly a century before the Roman invasion of Britain, was sold for a few hundred pounds to its current owner, who said they also didn’t realise its worth. “Finally, though, the jewellery is getting its day in the sun” said the paper, “after its owner learnt it could fetch up to £30,000”.
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