Police foiled by escapees on skis

OFFICERS trying to bust a clandestine carnival celebration in eastern Germany were left red-faced when most of the revellers escaped police on skis.

Police in the town of Marienberg, near the border with the Czech Republic, received information that about 100 people were partying without abiding by the requirements to wear face masks or respect minimum social distancing. They were unable to determine how many people had broken the law, however, because their arrival prompted a hasty on-ski departure by party-goers.

Police across Germany have broken up numerous carnival celebrations across the country in recent days.