Health warnings displayed on cigarette packs in the UK are “not up to the job”, a charity has warned after a new poll suggested that standardised cigarette packs are more likely to put teenagers off smoking.

Teenagers from Australia – where plain packs were introduced almost a year ago – are more likely to be deterred from taking up the habit by cigarette packaging than British youngsters, according to the British Heart Foundation.

In December last year, Australia became the first country in the world to introduce such a measure. Cigarette packs and other tobacco products are all sold in packets with a standardised brown colour, with only the brand name and graphic warnings visible. (AP)

EasyJet stripper tasered

A drunk passenger who stepped off an easyJet flight from Malta, stripped naked on airport tarmac and challenged the flight captain to a fight, had to be tasered by Manchester police.

The burly, tattooed 52-year-old was caught on video stripping to his black underpants, shouting and remonstrating after stepping off the plane. He then removed his underpants and received a hard slap across his face by his female companion before putting his clothes back on. The incident was caught on video.

The stripper, who has not been identified but spoke with a Manchester accent, also urinated on the side of the Terminal One building at Manchester Airport and was later tasered and arrested by police. (PA)

Mystery of painting in post

A UK pensioner has spoken of his surprise at receiving a painting of an “ugly woman” in the post – and he has no idea of who sent it.

Keith Webb, 82, of Hampshire, said the parcel was a complete mystery. He said: “It’s a painting of such a horrid old crone – my wife won’t have it in the house.

“I have no idea of who sent it. I have taken it to the local auction house and they say it is about 200 or 300 years old and it has undergone some extensive renovation at some stage. It’s not very valuable, about £200 apparently.”

He said that Parcelforce informed him that the painting, which was addressed to himself, had been posted from a WH Smith store. He added: “My wife thought it looked rather evil and she said ‘I do not want that in the house’ so in the garage it goes.” (PA)

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