A man who is fed up of dog mess has taken to hiding in bushes in camouflage to catch the culprits.
Andrew Hawes, 43, decided to take action after he and fellow residents cleaned up their neighbourhood in Leiston, Suffolk, only for the mess to return within a week. He now dresses in full camouflage and films any offenders, before passing videos to the police who can issue fines.
His campaign – which has a Facebook group called Leiston Dog Mess Name and Shame - has even won praise from movie star Hugh Grant, who wrote on Twitter: “My hero.”
The married father-of-four said: “We spent weeks cleaning up the neighbourhood and removed bucket loads of dog poo. Within seven days it was all back again and we thought, ‘enough is enough’.”
Bonobos, babies share language
Human babies and bonobos – apes that are said to be our closest primate cousins – share a common “language”, scientists have revealed.
Both are able to make communicative sounds that can be adapted to a range of different emotional states and situations. The ability may be evidence of a lingual “missing link” marking the evolutionary transition from animal calls to human speech, research suggests.
Most animal vocalisations are tied to specific contexts linked to emotional states, for instance to warn about predators or display aggression. Most animal vocalisations are tied to specific contexts linked to emotional states, for instance to warn about predators or display aggression.
Lion fund now over £550,000
The death of Cecil the Lion has sparked donations of more than £500,000 to an appeal founded by a team of conservation researchers.
Cecil, shot last month by an American dentist, was being studied by the University of Oxford’s Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU) who set up the appeal to fund future big cat research work.
WildCRU has now announced that more than £550,000 had been received, meaning the unit’s research may be extended beyond Zimbabwe. WildCRU’s director, David Macdonald, said the team would devote themselves to working for the conservation of lions following the “incredible generosity”.
Paint job priority for US Navy
As it tries to get the most out of its 2.6 billion US dollars (£1.7 billion) attack submarines, the US Navy is finding a lot depends on the right paint job.
A new painting process that helps keep marine life from fouling the hulls is among dozens of innovations aimed at reducing the maintenance needs for attack submarines, which are coming out of service faster than they can be replaced.
The changes were developed by private and government shipyards in response to a request from the navy. Other updates include water-resistant grease for hatches, a special coating on the metal rods that extend the bow planes to minimise deposits, and redesigned bearings to improve support of the propeller shaft.
Mechanic wins pay for changing
A German court says a municipal bus mechanic can have hundreds of euros in back pay for time spent changing into his work clothes – but not for time he spent showering.
The state labour court in Dusseldorf said the man and the local transport authority in Oberhausen reached a settlement that will see him get 375 euro (£265) to cover the 10 minutes per day that he spent changing into and out of his uniform over a seven-month period last year.
The plaintiff had also sought to be paid for a daily 10 minutes spent in the shower after work. But the court questioned whether that could be counted as time on the job and also wondered “whether 10 minutes is not too long for a shower”.