Rising numbers of learner drivers in Britain are being caught trying to cheat their tests by hiring lookalikes, according to government figures.
More than 670 cases of impersonators sitting theory and practical exams have been reported so far in 2014/15, more than a fifth higher than the previous financial year, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) said.
Andy Rice, the DVSA’s head of fraud and integrity, said driving test fraud was putting “innocent road users at risk” and it had “stringent measures” to detect offences.
Barber becomes a superstar
A barber has been made an instant superstar after giving Zayn Malik a haircut.
The One Direction star went for a new do recently, getting an undercut and leaving the top of his hair long, which sent fans into a frenzy.
Kieron Webb, a hairdresser from The London Barber, soon found himself trending on Twitter.
Writing on the wall for pupil
A secondary school has defended expelling a student after he made insults about his head teacher on Facebook.
Jordan Ford, 14, posted derogatory comments about Keziah Featherstone’s hair colour, looks and weight alongside a Facebook profile photo of her.
The Bridge Learning Campus in Bristol, where Featherstone is associate head, said Jordan had broken the school’s social media policy.
‘Adopt’ a hissing cockroach
Feeling the sting of rejection? The San Francisco Zoo is offering the chance to ‘adopt’ a hissing cockroach or giant scorpion in honour of that special ex-someone for Valentine’s Day.
The zoo is highlighting two of its less desirable inhabitants through the adopt-an-animal programme that usually raises money for the care of more cuddly-looking creatures, such as penguins and pandas.
For $50 (€43) and up, donors can adopt a scorpion and have the zoo send a certificate and stuffed stinger to the person who inspired the adoption.
The cockroach valentine that the zoo says represents “the detritus of your love life” costs $25.
Warning woofs save US family
A family of seven who were sleeping when a fire consumed their California home say they escaped unscathed thanks to their barking dog.
Vera Mendez says Foxy, her two-year-old mixed breed dog, began barking “like crazy”. Mendez’s son woke up, and he rushed to wake up the rest of the family as flames tore through three rooms of the home in Santa Ana.
Nearly 50 firefighters tackled the fire, but were not able to save the house. The cause of the blaze is under investigation.
Burglar crashed through ceiling
Authorities say a man’s plans to break into a US store fell through, after he crashed through the ceiling and landed in front of police.
Police in Houston said the man climbed a tree and onto the roof of a Family Dollar store, then managed to break a hole in the roof and enter the building.
But after making his way into the store, the man fell through the ceiling just as a police officer arrived in response to a call about a potential burglary. The officer ordered the unidentified man to stay on the floor and he was later arrested.
Authorities believe the man was trying to steal cigarettes.