US police DNA test cookie to see if Santa ate it

And other stories from the stranger side of life

Santa Claus

A US police department has granted the request of a local resident to have the remains of a cookie and some carrots DNA tested to determine if Santa Claus bit them. The Rhode Island cops said they received a letter from “a young investigator” making the unorthodox request, noted UPI. “This young lady obviously has a keen sense for truth and the investigative process and did a tremendous job packaging her evidence for submission. We will do our very best to provide answers for her,” said Chief Matthew J. Benson.

‘Champing’ on the rise in Britain

The team behind a “champing” scheme to open churches to holidaymakers, hikers and pilgrims said they had their most successful year ever and are planning to more than double capacity. The churches offer bedding and “basic amenities such as water and lavatories”, said The Times, with some holy venues joining forces with farmers to provide breakfast and pubs to offer dinner. “Quite often the average stay is generally just a night, others hop from church to church,” said Guy Foreman, head of the scheme.

Man ‘feels awful’ after eating 40 chickens

A man who ate 40 chickens in as many days said he had “nightmares” and “felt awful”, reported The Guardian. Alexander Tominsky said he embarked on the challenge as a way of making him self feel “uncomfortable” which he believes is “necessary in life”. He said it was “interesting” that “something that was initially enjoyable could, with enough repetition, turn you off”, adding: “There were times when I asked myself if I was out of my mind.”

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Chas Newkey-Burden has been part of The Week Digital team for more than a decade and a journalist for 25 years, starting out on the irreverent football weekly 90 Minutes, before moving to lifestyle magazines Loaded and Attitude. He was a columnist for The Big Issue and landed a world exclusive with David Beckham that became the weekly magazine’s bestselling issue. He now writes regularly for The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Independent, Metro, FourFourTwo and the i new site. He is also the author of a number of non-fiction books.