People in Britain are so worried free plastic bags will be outlawed that they have started to hoard them, a Tory peer warned.

Baroness Gardner of Parkes called for plastic bags to be labelled with when they would biodegrade to help the government tackle the problem of litter.

At question time in the House of Lords, she said: “The chemical additive D2W, which has been used since the 1970s, has now been developed to a degree of accuracy that almost the exact date of self-destruct can be built into plastic bag manufacture.” (PA)

Magna Carta holiday

There should be a designated bank holiday to celebrate the 800th anniversary of the signing of Magna Carta and “all that it still stands for”, a Tory MP suggested.

Eleanor Laing proposed leave be given to bring in a Bill to designate Monday June 15, 2015 as a UK bank holiday to mark the historic milestone.

Speaking in the Commons, the Epping Forest MP said: “On June 15, 1215 the foundations of our democracy were laid when King John met his barons at Runnymede and sealed that historic document which has become known as Magna Carta.” (PA)

Skullduggery

A Taiwanese man has been arrested over the theft of 35 skeletons which had been discovered at a construction site in the island’s north, police said yesterday.

The skeletons, unclaimed and apparently from an old burial ground, had been placed temporarily in a warehouse. The man allegedly stole them and took them to Taipei, where he was caught on Tuesday, police in Miaoli county said.

The suspect, who works for a funeral home and has a record of theft and drug abuse, said he was concerned the skeletons – dug up during construction of a museum – would be stolen because the warehouse was not locked, police said.

The man had put the skeletons in a truck and parked it near a Taipei park for nearly a month before he was arrested, they said. (AFP)

Facebook ban

Civil servants have been banned from accessing Facebook but can still log on to Twitter, the British government revealed yesterday.

Staff at the Department for Work and Pensions can access certain social networking websites from their office computers, but only for work reasons.

Employment Minister Chris Grayling said last night: “The department recognises social media is a valuable tool for engaging with jobseekers and partners.

However, Mr Grayling said communications workers could still log on to Facebook because their roles “involve use of social media”.

But he did not say how internet usage was monitored to ensure civil servants only used the sites for work purposes. (PA)

Big Brother twins

Irish twins Jedward are firm favo­urites to win Celebrity Big Brother.

Bookmakers William Hill have made the duo, real names John and Edward Grimes, 4/9 to win Channel 5’s revamped reality show which finishes tomorrow.

Kerry Katona is second favourite at 11/4 with My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding star Paddy Doherty at 5/1. The other surviving contenders are Amy Childs, Lucien Laviscount, Darryn Lyons and model Bobby Sabel. (PA)

Golliwog charge

A woman has been charged with racially aggravated harassment after a neighbour complained about a golliwog displayed in her window.

Jena Mason, 65, will appear before Lowestoft magistrates next Tuesday following the alleged incident in August, Suffolk police confirmed.

According to reports, Mrs Mason, of College Lane, Worlingham, was arrested after her black neighbour Rosemarie O’Donnell complained about the doll being displayed in her window. (PA)

Video art

David Hockney said his new technique of filming video art is “better than 3D”.

The 74-year-old artist, who moved back to his native Yorkshire to work on a collection of pieces, uses nine cameras to create a movie of a road through the four seasons.

An exhibition focusing on his landscapes called David Hockney: Bigger Picture will go on display at the Royal Academy of Arts in London from January 21 to April 9 next year. (PA)

Snappy dresser

A shoplifter in Mississippi was caught hiding goods down his trousers, including two live lobsters.

Nathan Hardy also had two bags of jumbo shrimp and a pork loin.

He tried to escape by throwing the pork at shop staff but fell while running away. (PA)

Pop favourite

A 36-year-old man has been charged with breaking into singer Celine Dion’s home, raiding the fridge and having a bath.

He was caught by police in the Montreal suburb of Laval after the alarm system went off.

The international pop superstar and her husband, Rene Angelil, were not in at the time. (PA)

Brain food

Staff and students at the University of Massachusetts celebrated the start of the new term by making the world’s largest stir-fry.

Using a custom-built, 14-foot-frying pan, the meal included 800lbs of chicken, 500lbs of onions, 400lbs of carrots, 300lbs of broccoli as well as peppers, green beans, bok choy, peanuts, basil and garlic.

The university said the aim was to stress sustainability and promote healthy eating. (PA)

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