City greases lampposts to thwart celebrations

City workers in Philadelphia were ordered to apply a layer of grease to lampposts throughout the city this weekend in a bid to stop fans climbing the poles in celebration, should their NFL team – the Philadelphia Eagles – defeat the Minnesota Vikings for a berth in the Super Bowl. The Eagles won 38-7.

Doughnut eating champion breaks into doughnut shop

A North Carolina man charged with breaking into a Dunkin’ Donuts shop was known to police as he had won a doughnut eating competition put on by the department in 2014. Bradley Hardison, 27, was suspected of a number of other break-ins at the time.

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Russian police find crocodile in basement

Police in St Petersburg have found a large crocodile living in a pool of water dug into a basement floor. Detectives had been searching the property looking for undeclared weapons when they made the surprising discovery. The home owner told police he’d had the reptile for years.