A baby sloth named “Edward” after his impressive Edward Scissorhands-like claws is being hand-reared with the help of a special teddy bear.

Zookeeper Kelly-Anne Kelleher has taken on the role of surrogate mother at London Zoo after seven-week old two-toed sloth Edward’s mother stopped producing milk and was unable to care for him.

To help him build up muscles, Kelleher has adapted his teddy bear with carabiners, climbing equipment that means it can be hung from a branch and allow him to climb on and strengthen his limbs.

He was named after Johnny Depp’s character Edward Scissorhands due to his claws, which will grow to up to four inches in length, enabling him to climb easily through trees.

Level of support for candidate

A Tory candidate with the Twitter handle @BigBraLady has helped the party to emerge victorious in the latest town hall by-elections.

Conservatives won a seat from independent at North Kesteven District Council (North Hykeham Mill ward) and held a seat at Wychavon (Droitwich East), where the new councillor, Karen Tomalin, runs a women’s underwear business called bras2u.com.

Tomalin had 495 votes, Labour 175, Ukip 171 and Lib Dems 108. Turnout was 22 per cent. Conservative Mike Clarke won 286 votes at North Kesteven as against Ind 180, Lab 161, Green 64 and LD 22. Turnout 19 per cent.

Rare World War I gun restored

A rare First World War anti-aircraft gun is to fire again 100 years after guns first successfully repelled a German Zeppelin raid over the White Cliffs of Dover.

The three-inch gun, one of only six of its type left in the world, was built in 1915 as one of the first weapons designed to combat the new threat of aerial warfare.

The gun, acquired by English Heritage from the Ministry of Defence in 1994 and sited at Pendennis Castle, Cornwall, since then, has been restored, and is the only one in full working order, English Heritage said.

It has now been installed at Dover Castle to recreate one of the anti-aircraft gun emplacements first put in place in 1915, and will be regularly fired in demonstrations by a team of specially trained team of English Heritage volunteers in authentic costume.

Homeless shelter fortune found

Tens of thousands of euro in cash were found in the possessions of an 83-year-old woman who lived at a homeless shelter and died last week.

Mihael Pohar, a spokesman for the Duesseldorf district court, said the woman died a week ago and officials found a bag containing 45,000 in 500-euro notes; another €930 in smaller bills; $6,648 and Moldovan currency worth £25.

Pohar said a social worker who dealt with the woman told authorities that she may have a son in the US, and a court-appointed administrator is now looking into that possibility as he tries to find any heirs. The woman is believed to have been a Moldovan citizen.

Card strikes lucky at auction

A circa-1860s Brooklyn Atlantics team baseball card that has been in the same family for more than 150 years has fetched more than $179,000 at auction.

The pre-civil war baseball card was owned by Florence Sasso of Great Barrington, Massachusetts. It shows her great-great-uncle Archibald McMahon, an outfielder for the squad, pictured with eight of his team-mates in bib-style shirts and two gentlemen in suits.

Heritage Auctions in Chicago say it was purchased by an anonymous collector from the US west coast. It had a pre-sale estimate of $50,000.