A Labrador called River has lost her role as a guide dog for chasing squirrels in Kent. River failed to meet the requirements for guide dog duty, due to her love of pursuing the bushy-tailed rodents – despite numerous warnings not to. However, Sergeant Ian Sutton of Kent Police saw River’s potential to be a calming influence for those in emotional distress. She was enrolled in his custody canine initiative and is now a therapy dog at Maidstone police station, helping to keep the peace.
The Mirror (Adam Robertson)
Wattle it be?
Britain’s luckiest turkey survived the Christmas Day chop by going on a 5km Parkrun with her owner. Dave Brooker, 58, takes his beloved pet turkey Trouble Version Two – T2 for short – everywhere, including to the pub and dentist. Brooker feeds T2 the meat from Scotch eggs as well as cheese-and-onion crisps at the pub. The turkey has had such an effect on her owner over their three years together that he has now turned fully vegetarian.
Metro (Steve Morley)
Tipped for stardom
Charlie Cavey, better to known to locals as the Singing Binman, has been busking inside a bin on one of Cambridge’s busiest streets for over 25 years. He first got the idea seeing a bin being emptied in a lorry, thinking, “I can fit in there.” He converted his own bin to perform in and has since received requests for weddings, has auditioned on Britain’s Got Talent, and has even featured on Tyson Fury’s Instagram.
BBC Cambridge (Amanda Welles)
[See also: This England: Astronomical blunder]
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This article appears in the 08 Jan 2025 issue of the New Statesman, The Great Power Gap