WEIRD WORLD

FREELOADING FOX: A fox was spotted on the top deck of a sightseeing bus in the middle of a London city tour. The beast had to be collected by the RSPCA on Park Lane after people on board raised concerns for its welfare. RSPCA animal collection officer Jill Sanders said: “Nowhere does it say that a fox can’t travel! But understandably staff were a little concerned about the welfare of the fox - and that their customers may not appreciate sharing the top deck with Mr Fox.”

UNHAPPY MEAL: A Muslim man suspected of involvement in “terrorism-related activity” complained restrictions on his movements prevented him from joining his children in a visit to McDonald’s. The man, who cannot be named, said Home Office constraints prevented him from treating one of his children to a Happy Meal due to his ban on entering places with internet access. But Mrs Justice Elisabeth Laing dismissed the application and said monitoring computer use in a McDonald’s would be difficult.

PET RESCUE: A dog would not come out after chasing a cat into a tunnel dug by a giant tortoise in the back yard of a home in a Phoenix suburb, so homeowner Toby Passmore called for help. Firefighters responded with people and shovels and, with the help of a city backhoe, began unearthing the sixfoot-deep tunnel dug by Mr Passmore’s tortoise. That allowed Mr Passmore to squirm head-first into the hole and see that his Scottish Schnauzer “was wilfully inside the hole” where it had cornered the cat. With his ankles held by firefighters, Mr Passmore was able to pull the dog out. It emerged dirty but unharmed. The rescuers left the hole open to allow the cat to leave when it felt safe.