IT MUST BE TRUE… I read it in the tabloids

A Spanish civil servant has been banned from holding public posts, after it emerged that he had skipped work for a decade. Carles Recio, who was paid a s50,000 salary as an archive director in Valencia, only visited the office at 7.30am to clock in and at 4pm to clock out. Recio claimed to have been working from home, but an administrative tribunal found no evidence for this. On the contrary, it seems that he had spent his time running a male brothel and drawing erotic comics: he created a busty superhero named Fallarela, who hurls flaming Valencia oranges at her enemies. The man with the world’s longest fingernails has finally cut them – after 66 years. Shridhar Chillal, of Pune, India, hadn’t cut the nails on his left hand since 1952 – even though they grew to a combined length of about 30 feet and caused him constant pain. Last week, however, he flew to New York, had the nails removed by a doctor and gave them to Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! Odditorium in Times Square. “Now, for ever my nails will be remembered,” he said.

The England team may not have had a homecoming parade, but Southgate station ation on London’s Piccadilly cadilly Line was renamed Gareth eth Southgate station for 48 hours this week, in honour of the mildmannered manager. “We’re delighted to be able to show our appreciation to Gareth and the team,” said Mark Wild of Transport for London.