SIDELINES...

WHALE JACKPOT

A group of fishers from Yemen, one of the world’s poorest countries, found a dead sperm whale floating in the Gulf of Aden. On cutting it open, they found its stomach contained ambergris worth $1.5m. Ambergis is made only by sperm whales, to protect their stomachs from the beaks of the squid they eat, and is prized by the perfume industry where it is used to stabilise scents. BBC News, 1 Jun 2021.

COMPLETELY DENTAL

Back in 1992, someone was breaking into people’s homes in poor areas of Munich to fix their teeth. He put them under anæsthetic before filling cavities and polishing teeth, and then leaving without stealing anything. By the time of the report, the rogue dentist had done an estimated £10,000 worth of work for free. D.Mirror, D.Record, 19 Oct 1992.

LOST IN A LABYRINTH

Lyndsey Kennedy, 43, decided to explore a tunnel on 3 March while swimming in a Florida canal. Twenty days later, she was rescued from an 8ft (2.4m) storm drain under a sidewalk in Delray Beach after a pedestrian heard her cries. Too weak to stand, she had been lost underground in the sewer network. She was unhurt apart from minor cuts and bruises. Metro, 26 Mar 2021.

DISAGREEABLE CLOTHING

In early May, Haywards Heath police were called out when a man was seen arguing with his jacket in the middle of the road. “No idea what the jacket had actually done, but the team managed to take the male home for his own safety,” said Inspector Darren Taylor. Mid Sussex Times, 12 May 2021.