Thursday, August 13, 2009
Oatcakes 'n' cheese
From the gentleman who previously brought you 'Nae mince in Moray'.
You can see the lyrics on the sidebar here.
You can see the lyrics on the sidebar here.
'Alien scene' of tadpoles' feast
"Alien-like" scenes of tadpoles feasting on eggs emerging from their mother have been caught on camera. The footage marks the success of a captive breeding programme for the critically endangered mountain chicken frog, one of the world's largest frogs.
In April, 50 of the amphibian giants were airlifted from Montserrat after a deadly fungus swept through the island, devastating the population. Now several breeding programmes are under way to save the frogs. Once numbers have been boosted in captivity, researchers hope to reintroduce the frogs back into the wild within the next two years.
The remarkable footage was recorded at the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, in Jersey, which took in 12 of the rescued frogs. Twenty-six others went to Parken Zoo in Sweden, and 12 are now housed in ZSL London Zoo. So far, four pairs of mountain chicken frogs have started to breed - which could result in hundreds of frogs. And this has given researchers an insight into the way that these unusual amphibians care for their offspring.
Professor John Fa, director of Durrell, said: "Mountain chickens have very peculiar breeding habits because they form foam nests in burrows in the ground." The females lay their eggs in these nests, which eventually hatch into tadpoles. But as the nests are underground, food is scarce - so the frogs need to find a way to provide nutrition for their young.
Professor Fa explained: "In the case of mountain chickens, we have discovered that the female comes into the nest and starts laying a string of infertile eggs. We thought that the eggs would come out and drop to the bottom of the nest and then the tadpoles would start eating them. But the footage shows about 40 tadpoles congregating around the female and eating the eggs as they come out of the female's body.
"Every now and again, the female uses her back legs to push the tadpoles away from her body so another set can come up and eat as much as they can." He added: "It is really weird - it is an alien scene. This is the first time we have caught this on film."
In April, 50 of the amphibian giants were airlifted from Montserrat after a deadly fungus swept through the island, devastating the population. Now several breeding programmes are under way to save the frogs. Once numbers have been boosted in captivity, researchers hope to reintroduce the frogs back into the wild within the next two years.
The remarkable footage was recorded at the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, in Jersey, which took in 12 of the rescued frogs. Twenty-six others went to Parken Zoo in Sweden, and 12 are now housed in ZSL London Zoo. So far, four pairs of mountain chicken frogs have started to breed - which could result in hundreds of frogs. And this has given researchers an insight into the way that these unusual amphibians care for their offspring.
Professor John Fa, director of Durrell, said: "Mountain chickens have very peculiar breeding habits because they form foam nests in burrows in the ground." The females lay their eggs in these nests, which eventually hatch into tadpoles. But as the nests are underground, food is scarce - so the frogs need to find a way to provide nutrition for their young.
Professor Fa explained: "In the case of mountain chickens, we have discovered that the female comes into the nest and starts laying a string of infertile eggs. We thought that the eggs would come out and drop to the bottom of the nest and then the tadpoles would start eating them. But the footage shows about 40 tadpoles congregating around the female and eating the eggs as they come out of the female's body.
"Every now and again, the female uses her back legs to push the tadpoles away from her body so another set can come up and eat as much as they can." He added: "It is really weird - it is an alien scene. This is the first time we have caught this on film."
Woman, 87, crushes venomous snake with bare hands
One fatality was reported on Monday when a pygmy rattlesnake bit an 87-year-old woman on the hand. The final score: Cane-wielding octogenarian, 1: venomous snake, 0.
Esther Orring spent most of Monday in the hospital but is expected to make a full recovery. The snake, however, is very much dead after Orring killed it with her bare hands.
"She's a very strong person,'' daughter Maria Pellicone said of her mother.
The snake bit Orring after she saw it on the doorstep of her home at Hunters Green. Not realizing what it was, she first pushed it around with her cane, but when she bent over to move it aside, the tiny snake bit her on the middle finger of her right hand.
Orring then killed the snake with her hands, Pellicone said, and went inside to try treating herself. She pricked herself with a pin to try to draw out blood and venom, then swabbed herself with alcohol. Then she called Pellicone at work - Orring doesn't speak English - and her daughter called an ambulance.
Orring was taken to University Community Hospital, where she was given antivenin. Pellicone says says she hopes her mother doesn't spend as much time outdoors, even if she is set in her ways. The trip to the hospital was somewhat traumatizing for her mother, she said, not so much because of the snake but because her mother "don't like to take her clothes off.''
With video.
Esther Orring spent most of Monday in the hospital but is expected to make a full recovery. The snake, however, is very much dead after Orring killed it with her bare hands.
"She's a very strong person,'' daughter Maria Pellicone said of her mother.
The snake bit Orring after she saw it on the doorstep of her home at Hunters Green. Not realizing what it was, she first pushed it around with her cane, but when she bent over to move it aside, the tiny snake bit her on the middle finger of her right hand.
Orring then killed the snake with her hands, Pellicone said, and went inside to try treating herself. She pricked herself with a pin to try to draw out blood and venom, then swabbed herself with alcohol. Then she called Pellicone at work - Orring doesn't speak English - and her daughter called an ambulance.
Orring was taken to University Community Hospital, where she was given antivenin. Pellicone says says she hopes her mother doesn't spend as much time outdoors, even if she is set in her ways. The trip to the hospital was somewhat traumatizing for her mother, she said, not so much because of the snake but because her mother "don't like to take her clothes off.''
With video.
Woman fights to keep deer in her home
The Canadian government is trying to evict a Vancouver Island woman's unusual roommate – a pet deer that the woman has been living with for the past five years. Ucluelet resident Janet Schwartz has raised Bimbo, a small black-tailed deer, in her home since she was a fawn.
The animal was found by a friend of Schwartz near the dead body of its mother outside the town, about 300 kilometres northwest of Victoria. Since then, Bimbo has slept on a bed in Schwartz's home and eaten at her table, Schwartz said.
"She eats all the same food I eat. She'll eat anything, bananas, apples, potatoes, cookies, candy, pop. You name it, she'll eat it," said Schwartz. "She'll give you kisses and she loves to dance to Elvis Presley. It's her favourite music," said Schwartz. And she'll get up on her hind legs to hug me," she added.
But authorities have expressed concern about the unusual domestic arrangement. Deer are wild animals and are not to be kept as pets, according to British Columbia Environment Ministry wildlife biologist Kim Brunt.
"I would suspect that it would have a reasonable chance of surviving if slowly re-introduced back into the wild," said Brunt. "The first step would be not allowing it into the house or treating it so much like a domestic animal," she said.
The ministry has told Schwartz in a letter that Bimbo must be set free or taken to a rehabilitation centre. Schwartz said those options are unacceptable. "I don't want to let her go because I love her. She's like a baby I never had. I don't want to see her go because I love her," Schwartz said.
Update: There's a news video here.
Many thanks Wee Willie!
The animal was found by a friend of Schwartz near the dead body of its mother outside the town, about 300 kilometres northwest of Victoria. Since then, Bimbo has slept on a bed in Schwartz's home and eaten at her table, Schwartz said.
"She eats all the same food I eat. She'll eat anything, bananas, apples, potatoes, cookies, candy, pop. You name it, she'll eat it," said Schwartz. "She'll give you kisses and she loves to dance to Elvis Presley. It's her favourite music," said Schwartz. And she'll get up on her hind legs to hug me," she added.
But authorities have expressed concern about the unusual domestic arrangement. Deer are wild animals and are not to be kept as pets, according to British Columbia Environment Ministry wildlife biologist Kim Brunt.
"I would suspect that it would have a reasonable chance of surviving if slowly re-introduced back into the wild," said Brunt. "The first step would be not allowing it into the house or treating it so much like a domestic animal," she said.
The ministry has told Schwartz in a letter that Bimbo must be set free or taken to a rehabilitation centre. Schwartz said those options are unacceptable. "I don't want to let her go because I love her. She's like a baby I never had. I don't want to see her go because I love her," Schwartz said.
Update: There's a news video here.
Many thanks Wee Willie!
Severed leg in formaldehyde used to warn drink drivers
A Chinese man has preserved his severed leg in formaldehyde for 20 years to warn people against the dangers of drink driving. Song Weiguo, 48, of Jiangyan in eastern China's Jiangsu province, puts his leg on display every year on the anniversary of the accident in which he lost it.
His left leg had to be amputated after he hit a tractor while driving his motorbike after drinking half a litre of liquor in 1989.
Song said: "When the doctor told me my leg had to be amputated, I cried a lot. Later I pleaded with him to let me keep the severed leg. As people in my home town don't seem to care about driving after drinking, I thought I'd take it back home with me to educate them."
Every August, he takes the leg out of its sealed tank and invites friends and people he suspects of drink driving to come and see it.
"I don't really want to look at it because it makes me quite sad every time I see it or even think of it," he said. "But it scares the hell out of people who come to visit. None of them ever drives after drinking again."
Song's wife, Xia Caiying, said her husband is obsessed with his severed leg and even talks about it in his sleep. But he is claiming credit for the fact that there has not been a single drink driving related road accident in his home town for years.
His left leg had to be amputated after he hit a tractor while driving his motorbike after drinking half a litre of liquor in 1989.
Song said: "When the doctor told me my leg had to be amputated, I cried a lot. Later I pleaded with him to let me keep the severed leg. As people in my home town don't seem to care about driving after drinking, I thought I'd take it back home with me to educate them."
Every August, he takes the leg out of its sealed tank and invites friends and people he suspects of drink driving to come and see it.
"I don't really want to look at it because it makes me quite sad every time I see it or even think of it," he said. "But it scares the hell out of people who come to visit. None of them ever drives after drinking again."
Song's wife, Xia Caiying, said her husband is obsessed with his severed leg and even talks about it in his sleep. But he is claiming credit for the fact that there has not been a single drink driving related road accident in his home town for years.
Desperate dog owners take over billboard
Janis and Bob McCormick are not giving up a four month effort to find their beloved dog named Zak.
Zak hasn't been seen since April 15. That's when the McCormick's say someone took the small white dog out of the front yard of their Saratoga home.
They've offered rewards, posted fliers, hired pet detectives and a psychic, but still no sign of Zak.
Now they have taken over a large billboard on Alum Rock Avenue begging for the dogs return and offering a $3,000 reward. The billboard will be up until the end of the week.
They are also plastering Zak's picture on the back of Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority buses. The fliers will there for a month at a cost of $300 per bus.
Zak is an 11-year-old rare Lowchen and has a brother back home in Saratoga. The McCormicks say the only requirement to get the reward is to have the dog scanned at a shelter or vet's office to verify it really is Zak.
Zak hasn't been seen since April 15. That's when the McCormick's say someone took the small white dog out of the front yard of their Saratoga home.
They've offered rewards, posted fliers, hired pet detectives and a psychic, but still no sign of Zak.
Now they have taken over a large billboard on Alum Rock Avenue begging for the dogs return and offering a $3,000 reward. The billboard will be up until the end of the week.
They are also plastering Zak's picture on the back of Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority buses. The fliers will there for a month at a cost of $300 per bus.
Zak is an 11-year-old rare Lowchen and has a brother back home in Saratoga. The McCormicks say the only requirement to get the reward is to have the dog scanned at a shelter or vet's office to verify it really is Zak.
Brazil TV host turned politician 'ordered killings to boost ratings'
Police have accused a TV presenter in Brazil of being involved in organised drug trafficking and ordering killings to get rid of rivals and boost ratings. Wallace Souza, who is also a state legislator, says the claims are an attempt by rivals to smear him and that there is no evidence to back them.
But the police say he ordered killings in the state of Amazonas and alerted TV crews to get them to the scene first. His TV show was halted late last year as police stepped up their inquiry.
If what the police say is true, then this is the TV show that not only reported crime, but was actually behind it as well. The authorities believe that Mr Souza commissioned at least five murders in order to get rid of drug trafficking rivals and to boost his programme ratings.
They say he wanted to prove his claims that the region he represented in the state of Amazonas was plagued with crime. A local police chief said that the order to execute always came from the presenter and his son, and that TV crews were alerted to get to the scene of the crime first.
State Security Secretary Francisco Cavalcanti says the truth has now become clear. "On several occasions they fabricated the facts, they fabricated news," Mr Cavalcanti said.
Wallace Souza faces a variety of charges, including drug trafficking and weapons possession, but remains free because for the moment his political role gives him immunity. His son Rafael, meanwhile, has been arrested on charges of murder, drug trafficking and illegally possessing guns.
But the police say he ordered killings in the state of Amazonas and alerted TV crews to get them to the scene first. His TV show was halted late last year as police stepped up their inquiry.
If what the police say is true, then this is the TV show that not only reported crime, but was actually behind it as well. The authorities believe that Mr Souza commissioned at least five murders in order to get rid of drug trafficking rivals and to boost his programme ratings.
They say he wanted to prove his claims that the region he represented in the state of Amazonas was plagued with crime. A local police chief said that the order to execute always came from the presenter and his son, and that TV crews were alerted to get to the scene of the crime first.
State Security Secretary Francisco Cavalcanti says the truth has now become clear. "On several occasions they fabricated the facts, they fabricated news," Mr Cavalcanti said.
Wallace Souza faces a variety of charges, including drug trafficking and weapons possession, but remains free because for the moment his political role gives him immunity. His son Rafael, meanwhile, has been arrested on charges of murder, drug trafficking and illegally possessing guns.
French ban Muslim woman from pool for wearing 'burkini' swimsuit
A French woman who converted to Islam has been banned from wearing a "burkini" in a swimming pool outside Paris. The woman, named only as Carole, 35, was told that the garment, a swimsuit that covers most of the body, was "inappropriate" clothing for a public baths.
Pool staff said her three-piece Islamic swimsuit she bought in Dubai - consisting of a headscarf, tunic and trousers - was against pool regulations and unhygienic.
They had "reminded her of the rules that apply in all [public] swimming pools which forbid swimming while clothed," said Daniel Guillaume, a manager at the pool in the suburb of Emerainville.
The ban was imposed as President Nicolas Sarkozy's government is considering an outright ban on all Islamic dress, such as the head-to-toe burka or niqab, that it considers a "sign of subservience" and "not welcome" in France.
Pool staff said her three-piece Islamic swimsuit she bought in Dubai - consisting of a headscarf, tunic and trousers - was against pool regulations and unhygienic.
They had "reminded her of the rules that apply in all [public] swimming pools which forbid swimming while clothed," said Daniel Guillaume, a manager at the pool in the suburb of Emerainville.
The ban was imposed as President Nicolas Sarkozy's government is considering an outright ban on all Islamic dress, such as the head-to-toe burka or niqab, that it considers a "sign of subservience" and "not welcome" in France.
Britain's ideal pet is part-dog, part-cat
Britain's perfect pet is a bizarre combination of both cat and dog - with a little bit of rabbit, researchers claim. With the ears of a rabbit, face of a cat, body of a golden retriever and tail of a horse, scientist said the image depicts the country's ideal animal companion.
The computer-generated picture was created after a survey of 2,000 British pet lovers revealed the nation's perfect animal was supposedly 49 per cent dog, 35 per cent cat, 9 per cent horse and 7 per cent rabbit.
The animal, called ''Max'' by the researchers, has high energy levels, loves daily walks and sleeps for an average of nine hours, 27 minutes a day.
Pete Markey, who helped conduct the research for insurance firm More Than, said: ''This experiment has provided great insight into exactly what it is about their animals people love, both in terms of looks and personality, and it goes to show what a pet-obsessed nation we are.''
The computer-generated picture was created after a survey of 2,000 British pet lovers revealed the nation's perfect animal was supposedly 49 per cent dog, 35 per cent cat, 9 per cent horse and 7 per cent rabbit.
The animal, called ''Max'' by the researchers, has high energy levels, loves daily walks and sleeps for an average of nine hours, 27 minutes a day.
Pete Markey, who helped conduct the research for insurance firm More Than, said: ''This experiment has provided great insight into exactly what it is about their animals people love, both in terms of looks and personality, and it goes to show what a pet-obsessed nation we are.''
Limping duck gets shoe support from cobbler
It's lucky by name, lucky by nature for this young duckling. When the month-old bird fractured her leg, owner Allison Morgan was told by vets her only option was to have Lucky put to sleep.
But Mrs Morgan, 44, refused to give up on the muscovy duck and set about finding a way to get Lucky back on her feet - with the help of a specially made shoe. Although the break in Lucky’s leg healed, her foot was pointing in the wrong direction, making it very difficult for her to walk.
So Mrs Morgan, an orthopaedic nurse from Lliswerry, enlisted local cobbler Kelvin Reddicliffe at the Newport branch of Timpsons Ltd to fit Lucky with a “roman sandal” to keep her on the straight and narrow. The sandal, which has been made in three sizes to support Lucky as she grows, protects her foot and takes the pressure off her webbed feet as she walks around the garden with fellow feathered friends Daisy and Kizzy.
Mrs Morgan took measurements of the duck's foot for the cobbler, who made the sandals out of rubber resin. Mr Reddicliffe said he was only too happy to help despite never making shoes for an animal in 39 years as a cobbler.
He said: “I have total admiration for Mrs Morgan for not listening to the vet and sticking by what she believed in.” Mrs Morgan, who has also been giving Lucky regular “physio” sessions, said: “When she’s out and about in the garden she’s not walking like a normal duck, but with the shoe that Kelvin has made she able to move much better.”
The only time Lucky has to go barefoot is when she goes for a swim because the light rubber sandal causes her leg to float. A new vet has now been found who is willing to operate on Lucky’s leg, with pins set to be inserted into her thigh as soon as she is feeling well enough.
With news video.
But Mrs Morgan, 44, refused to give up on the muscovy duck and set about finding a way to get Lucky back on her feet - with the help of a specially made shoe. Although the break in Lucky’s leg healed, her foot was pointing in the wrong direction, making it very difficult for her to walk.
So Mrs Morgan, an orthopaedic nurse from Lliswerry, enlisted local cobbler Kelvin Reddicliffe at the Newport branch of Timpsons Ltd to fit Lucky with a “roman sandal” to keep her on the straight and narrow. The sandal, which has been made in three sizes to support Lucky as she grows, protects her foot and takes the pressure off her webbed feet as she walks around the garden with fellow feathered friends Daisy and Kizzy.
Mrs Morgan took measurements of the duck's foot for the cobbler, who made the sandals out of rubber resin. Mr Reddicliffe said he was only too happy to help despite never making shoes for an animal in 39 years as a cobbler.
He said: “I have total admiration for Mrs Morgan for not listening to the vet and sticking by what she believed in.” Mrs Morgan, who has also been giving Lucky regular “physio” sessions, said: “When she’s out and about in the garden she’s not walking like a normal duck, but with the shoe that Kelvin has made she able to move much better.”
The only time Lucky has to go barefoot is when she goes for a swim because the light rubber sandal causes her leg to float. A new vet has now been found who is willing to operate on Lucky’s leg, with pins set to be inserted into her thigh as soon as she is feeling well enough.
With news video.
Cocker spaniel survives two cliff falls and swims a mile to the safety
A cocker spaniel had a lucky escape after twice falling off a cliff and then swimming nearly a mile to the safety of a yacht. The five-year-old pet, called Buddy, was being walked along a coastal path when it chased a rabbit and fell down the 100ft cliff near Studland, Dorset.
It ended up in the sea and as it tried to scramble back up it fell 30ft back into the water.
The dog then changed tactics and paddled out to sea where it was spotted two hours later by a couple in an anchored yacht. The pair took it aboard and gave it water while their own pet dog, also called Buddy, made a fuss of him.
The rescue was finally completed when a passing jet-skier gave the dog a lift back to the beach where he was reunited with his owner, Steve Kingsley, 59.
Mr Kingsley said: "I can't believe he went through all of that and lived to tell the tale, it's a miracle really.
"I only took him out for a quiet walk and yet he managed to trigger this huge scare involving almost everyone on the beach and at sea. He is so lucky. I think I will buy him a lottery ticket this weekend."
It ended up in the sea and as it tried to scramble back up it fell 30ft back into the water.
The dog then changed tactics and paddled out to sea where it was spotted two hours later by a couple in an anchored yacht. The pair took it aboard and gave it water while their own pet dog, also called Buddy, made a fuss of him.
The rescue was finally completed when a passing jet-skier gave the dog a lift back to the beach where he was reunited with his owner, Steve Kingsley, 59.
Mr Kingsley said: "I can't believe he went through all of that and lived to tell the tale, it's a miracle really.
"I only took him out for a quiet walk and yet he managed to trigger this huge scare involving almost everyone on the beach and at sea. He is so lucky. I think I will buy him a lottery ticket this weekend."
Councillor defends 'Assholes' car sticker
A councillor has come under fire after putting a sticker on his car saying that the town he represents is full of "assholes". Weston-super-Mare Conservative councillor Peter Bryant, an executive member for transport and community services, has a sticker on the back of his blue P-reg Mitsubishi pick up which says "For a small town, this one sure has a lot of assholes".
Mr Bryant, who represents Clarence and Uphill ward, has been a councillor for 23 years, and picks up allowances of about £23,000 a year for his work on the council. A fellow Weston councillor has described the sticker as "inappropriate", but Mr Bryant has defended it as a joke.
Mr Bryant said: "It's just a bit of fun – a joke. I don't see a problem with it being there. It's not meant to upset or offend anyone in Weston. My cousin gave it to me when I was visiting the States last year and it has been on my car for about a year.
"Not one person has commented on it and no one has asked me to remove it.
"I guess whether I have offended anyone or not will be decided by voters at the next election."
But others have taken a more dim view of the sticker, saying a leading councillor in the town should not be displaying a sign which could be deemed offensive to the very people who elected him. A fellow Tory councillor, who did not want to be named, said: "It's not the sort of thing that councillors should really be putting on their cars.
"It has been noticed by some of the other members in the council car park, but I am not sure anyone has said anything. I do not feel it is appropriate for a sticker of this kind to be on a councillor's car, especially one who is an executive member. It really is not the way of describing the people who elected you."
Mr Bryant, who represents Clarence and Uphill ward, has been a councillor for 23 years, and picks up allowances of about £23,000 a year for his work on the council. A fellow Weston councillor has described the sticker as "inappropriate", but Mr Bryant has defended it as a joke.
Mr Bryant said: "It's just a bit of fun – a joke. I don't see a problem with it being there. It's not meant to upset or offend anyone in Weston. My cousin gave it to me when I was visiting the States last year and it has been on my car for about a year.
"Not one person has commented on it and no one has asked me to remove it.
"I guess whether I have offended anyone or not will be decided by voters at the next election."
But others have taken a more dim view of the sticker, saying a leading councillor in the town should not be displaying a sign which could be deemed offensive to the very people who elected him. A fellow Tory councillor, who did not want to be named, said: "It's not the sort of thing that councillors should really be putting on their cars.
"It has been noticed by some of the other members in the council car park, but I am not sure anyone has said anything. I do not feel it is appropriate for a sticker of this kind to be on a councillor's car, especially one who is an executive member. It really is not the way of describing the people who elected you."
Crystal ball blamed for fire
A woman has told how her flat was wrecked in a fire that was started by a crystal ball on her windowsill. Mum-of-one Kim Yeates, 53, had been visiting a friend when she returned home to find her first-floor flat a blackened ruin.
Firefighters later discovered the blaze was caused by a small glass orb on her windowsill. The three-inch ornament, which cost £20, magnified the sun's rays which were directed on to the curtains and set them alight.
The fire spread to the sofa on which a television had been placed, ready to be thrown out. Flames spread through Ms Yeates' flat, causing more than £10,000 of damage to her kitchen, living room and bathroom, and has left her homeless for eight weeks.
The former BBC production assistant, from Worle in Weston-super-Mare, has now lost everything because she had no insurance. She said: "My life has been totally wrecked by this crystal ball. I've got no insurance and almost everything I owned was in the flat.
"The fireman said that this is the first time he has ever heard of a crystal ball causing a fire in his 25-year career. He was just as surprised as me. I used to love looking at the crystal ball and watching the sunlight come through it but I wish I had never bought it now. My mum has thrown it away because she was so angry about what happened. I'm completely devastated."
Avon Fire and Rescue Service confirmed the crystal ball was the cause of the fire. Spokeswoman Stephanie Mounsey said: "It's thought the fire started accidentally after sunlight refracting through a crystal ball on the windowsill caused the curtains to catch fire, spreading to a nearby sofa, where a television had been placed on the sofa ready to be thrown away."
Firefighters later discovered the blaze was caused by a small glass orb on her windowsill. The three-inch ornament, which cost £20, magnified the sun's rays which were directed on to the curtains and set them alight.
The fire spread to the sofa on which a television had been placed, ready to be thrown out. Flames spread through Ms Yeates' flat, causing more than £10,000 of damage to her kitchen, living room and bathroom, and has left her homeless for eight weeks.
The former BBC production assistant, from Worle in Weston-super-Mare, has now lost everything because she had no insurance. She said: "My life has been totally wrecked by this crystal ball. I've got no insurance and almost everything I owned was in the flat.
"The fireman said that this is the first time he has ever heard of a crystal ball causing a fire in his 25-year career. He was just as surprised as me. I used to love looking at the crystal ball and watching the sunlight come through it but I wish I had never bought it now. My mum has thrown it away because she was so angry about what happened. I'm completely devastated."
Avon Fire and Rescue Service confirmed the crystal ball was the cause of the fire. Spokeswoman Stephanie Mounsey said: "It's thought the fire started accidentally after sunlight refracting through a crystal ball on the windowsill caused the curtains to catch fire, spreading to a nearby sofa, where a television had been placed on the sofa ready to be thrown away."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)