Sikh police officers in Britain want the government to develop bullet-proof turbans to allow them to serve as firearms officers without having to remove their headwear, it was reported yesterday.

Sikh officers are exempt from a legal obligation to wear crash helmets because of their religion's requirement to wear a turban, but this means they cannot wear the protective headgear of firearms officers.

Inspector Gian Singh Chahal, vice-chairman of the newly formed British Police Sikh Association, said the Home Office needs to make provisions for Sikhs to recognise their role in the police force.

"Sikh officers have been prohibited from becoming firearms officers because our religion does not allow us to remove the turban," he was quoted as telling the journal Police Review. "We would like to follow any opportunity where we could manufacture a ballistic product, made out of a synthetic fibre, that would ensure a certain degree of protection, so Sikh police officers could take part in these roles." (AFP)

Couple fight to name son 'Q'

A couple in Sweden has appealed to the country's supreme court in their fight to name their baby boy "Q", legal papers showed yesterday.

Judges ruled in the couple's first appeal in January that Q was not an "appropriate" name for a child, arguing that Swedish law forbade names consisting of just one letter.

In their written appeal to Sweden's Supreme Court, the parents Rickard Rehnberg and Thitathorn Sukjit called on judges to reverse the previous ruling.

"There is now a child who answers to the name of Q. What does Sweden gain by forcing him to take on a new name?" they said.

In an earlier judgment in September 2008, the parents told the court they had named the boy Q after the eccentric inventor from the James Bond films, a claim they have not since repeated.

The Swedish Supreme Court is expected to give its verdict within the coming months. (AFP)

Kangaroo on the loose in New York

Police in New York state were on the alert on Thursday for a missing kangaroo which has been on the run for the past month. According to the online newspaper The Oneida Daily, the one-metre tall marsupial escaped his cage in the town of Chittenango, some 400 kilometres west of Manhattan, and has been foot-loose ever since.

The animal was spotted on Wednesday by several motorists in the neighbouring town of Canastota, but a police search failed to turn up the critter.

Out of an abundance of caution, authorities urged citizens to take great care in approaching the animal, even though the kangaroo was not considered dangerous. (AFP)

Snake's head in broccoli

Meat and veg is fine, but a snake head with broccoli? That's what a diner in upstate New York says he found on his plate during a meal at the popular chain T.G.I. Friday's.

The chain issued a statement on Thursday saying it took the incident in its Clifton Park branch "very seriously".

"We immediately pulled the broccoli from this restaurant and began an extensive investigation," said Amy Freshwater, spokesman for Carlson Restaurants, the parent company. "In addition, we are sending the object to an independent laboratory for testing. We... regret that this situation occurred in one of our restaurants." (AFP)

Indicted for keeping mother's body

A Florida woman has been indicted for keeping her dead mother's body in a bedroom for six years while collecting more than $200,000 in pension benefits.

Penelope Sharon Jordan of Florida, was charged last week with Social Security fraud and theft.

Police found the decaying body of her mother, Timmie Jordan, on a bed in a spare bedroom at the mother's home in late March, when they were called to investigate a report of nuisance cats. Penelope Jordan told police her mother had died in 2003.

The indictment alleged Ms Jordan concealed her mother's death in order to receive both her US Social Security benefits and her military survivor's benefit. In fact Ms Jordan collected $61,415 from Social Security and $176,461 from the military pension during the six years.

The 61-year-old woman told police her mother died of old age and she kept the remains because she couldn't afford burial expenses.(Reuters)