Caroline Thain

Journalist, writer and blogger

[carolinethain]

Air Passenger Caught ‘Stealing Thousands Of Euros From Fellow Traveller Mid-Flight’

A man who allegedly stole thousands of Euros from a fellow air passenger mid-flight has been arrested.

At first he denied it but was later left red-faced when another traveller produced what appears to be video evidence of the theft.

Ma Qiguan, 45, is a native of central China’s Henan Province, and was on his way to Thai capital Bangkok.

The incident took place on a Turkish Airlines flight earlier this week. The offender reportedly took down a Danish passenger’s luggage from the overhead compartment of flight TK064, before rummaging through it and taking the equivalent of £3,700. The footage was recorded on a mobile phone and shown to authorities when the plane landed in Bangkok.

Ma was detained by police at Suvarnabhumi Airport, where he was said to be carrying a return ticket to Istanbul for the next day. It is not known how Ma knew the Danish passenger was carrying such large amounts of cash or if Ma will be deported to China for punishment. (All images: CEN)

[carolinethain]

Girl Aged Three With ‘Old Lady Make-Up Job’ Sweeps The Internet

Unique look: Roey’s aunt certainly made her niece look grown up...

This three-year-old girl became an unlikely internet star - after her auntie’s make-up job made her look like an old lady. The youngster, known only as Roey, asked her aunt Samantha Parsons to apply make-up to her own face after watching her put on mascara. When Samantha opted to make her young niece look a lot older than she probably intended, the hilarious picture quickly swept social media.

The picture, showing Roey with thick dark eyebrows, a seemingly wrinkly forehead and ‘sunken cheeks’, was tweeted with the caption: “Today while babysitting, I was putting on mascara and my three-year-old niece asked if I could do her make-up too”.

Roey’s aunt Samantha Parsons. (Twitter)

It has received 36k likes and was retweeted 27k times. It has also inspired others to post ‘copycat’ pictures, which have been retweeted up to 18k times.

The Ohio-based artist’s young niece has been compared to the Grinch, the witch from Snow White and Pennsatucky from Netflix series Orange Is The New Black.

Twitter user Daniella posted: “I’ll do this to my daughter when she wanna look grown up in elementary school”.

Chad Wilson joked: “Turned the little girl into a middle school substitute teacher.”

And Allie Susralski said: “I can’t even believe what I’m seeing. It is my future.”

[carolinethain]

Totes Inappropriate! Parents’ Anger As Head Bans 'Unsuitable' Designer Handbags From School

Banned: An example of one of the bags not allowed at the school. (SWNS) Parents have slammed a ‘pathetic’ school ruling banning pupils from bringing designer handbags into class. Staff at All Saints’ Academy, Cheltenham, claim that holdalls, which they deem as ‘handbags’, are not suitable for children to use as school bags. Many pupils were told to carry rucksacks the following day, despite their parents recently shelling out cash for expensive designer totes as Christmas presents.

Headteacher Dermot McNiffe at the All Saints’ Academy, Cheltenham (SWNS)

Girls returning after the holidays with their new bags were told that they were inappropriate.

Parents criticised the decision on Facebook, questioning if this is within the remit of a headteacher's control.

One mum, Annabel Holland, posted: “Unless they provide every pupil with a school rucksack as part of the uniform, I don’t see how they can tell you what bag you can and can’t take to school!”

Tracie Hale said: “They go to school for an education. Does it really matter what bag they use? Pathetic really.”

Another parent, Vicki Hodges, added: “I don’t see what the difference is between a River Island handbag and an Adidas back pack.

“They’ve both got brand names on and can both fit school books and folders in. Doesn’t affect them learning in the slightest.”

All Saints’ Academy In Cheltenham. (SWNS)

But the headteacher issued a warning to parents and pupils in a letter on December 18, including photographs of bags he saw as fit and bags he did not.

Principal Dermot McNiffe wrote in the note sent home last year: “We have identified that there has been a lack of clarity on the type of bag to use for school, which has resulted in some students using designer handbags which are not appropriate for carrying exercise and text books to school.”

[carolinethain]

Traffic Cam Captures Stunning Footage Of Majestic Snowy Owl Mid-Flight

A traffic camera has captured footage that even an experienced wildlife photographer would be proud of.

Incredible images of a majestic snowy owl in flight were taken by a CCTV camera, after the beautiful bird photo-bombed the motorway.

The camera - belonging to Transport Quebec - took several pictures of the white and black-spotted owl last week, on a Montreal motorway in the Canadian province of Quebec.

Quebec transport minister Robert Poeti took to Twitter with the snaps, posting a caption which translates as: “Magnificent snowy owl picked up by surveillance cameras of the road network on the A-40 in the West of MTL.”

He also updated his Facebook followers, adding: “An impressive solo was captured in full flight by the surveillance cameras of the road network on highway 40 … in the west of the island of Montreal. Here’s a couple of shots of this beautiful snowy owl!”

It is thought by conservation experts that the owl was looking for a convenient place to perch.

Barbara Frei, director of the McGill Bird Observatory told CBC News: “I think they are attracted specifically to the highway because it has open, grassy fields nearby which is perfect for hunting their favourite prey, which is small rodents.”

She added that the bird was probably drawn to the camera box because it was high up and gave the owl a good view.

[carolinethain]

£5m ‘Megacar’ Reaches 270mph And Could Be World’s Most Expensive

A 270mph car could become the world’s most expensive with its £5m price tag.

Branded the first ‘megacar’, the Koenigsegg One:1 has an incredible ratio of 1bhp per kilogram – making it 20 times as powerful as a Ford Fiesta.

It can go from 0-62mph in 2.6 seconds, 0-186mph in 12 seconds and 0-248mph in around 20 seconds.

And it can get back to standstill in just 10 seconds, thanks to its state-of-the-art brakes.

It is estimated to be able to reach a staggering 273mph, though they haven’t been able to test it to that speed.

Only six were built - in addition to the prototype car, known as #00 - and they were sold before they were officially unveiled.

Supercar dealership Supervettura, based in Sunningdale, Berkshire, is selling #00 for an eye-watering £4.8m.

This is the priciest car in history. When the Bugatti Veyron first went on the market, it was on sale for a mere £830k.

The One:1 is the globe’s faster car too – in terms of its accelerating to 200kph and for its 0-300-0 ability.

(All images: SWNS)

Speaking of the prototype now on sale, the dealer said: “We are delighted to offer this very special Koenigsegg One:1, the car that was used by the Koenigsegg factory to develop the extremely rare and extreme performance One:1 model – the world’s first megacar.

“This vehicle was used to debut the One:1 programme at the Geneva Motorshow in 2014 and it was the star of the show. No small feat for a small manufacturer competing with the most powerful names with the largest budgets in the industry.”

It’s so cool, isn’t it? Now to find £5m...

[carolinethain]

Is It A Tree-Wheeler? Biker Decides To Carry PALM TREE While Riding

Just going to take this palm tree for a ride on my motorbike - said nobody ever.

But one guy in Colombia did exactly that. And the video has gone viral. Footage shows a man toting a palm tree around town, while riding a motorbike.

He can be seen cruising along, seemingly without a care in the world – despite the obvious road safety risks.

The police did not stop him and he reportedly arrived at his destination unhampered.

The video was sent by Enrique Ferrer – a local who filmed it in the town of Malambo – to a regional television station, which made it public.

Viewer Antonio De Lopez was angry because he got stopped by cops the week before, in the same town, and was fined for having a carrier bag on the handlebars of his bike.

He said: “The injustice of this feels really galling to me. I get hit with a fine equivalent to a day’s pay and this guy rides around with an orchard on his hog and nothing happens.

(All images: CEN)

“It just goes to show that the old maxim about cops the world over holds true here as well as everywhere else – they are never around when you want them to be”.

But police said that if they had spotted the incident, he would have been stopped and fined.

[carolinethain]

Bizarre ‘Half Cat, Half Chicken’ Image Goes Viral

(Imgur)

The internet does seem to like a weird animal picture, so it was not disappointed by this latest snap.

A very odd looking creature has been dubbed half cat, half chicken, after photos were shared online.

It was quickly seen by more than 2m people, after Reddit user Edwardwrongtu posted the image of his friend’s pet.

The fluffy ginger feline appeared on Imgur with no fur from the waist down, apart from its tail.

Edwardwrongtu, believed to be from America, posted the picture, with the caption: “My friend’s cat had surgery and now he has no pants.”

Unsurprisingly, it provoked many comments. One suggested it is “half cat, half raw chicken breast”. Another wrote: “The bottom half looks like an uncooked turkey”.

Some made jokes, one was “uncomfortable” viewing it, one envied the cat’s hair, saying: “That’s why I sometimes think it would be cool if we still had fur all over. We’d look majestic as f***.”

A Reddit user quipped: “At least he can look professional over Skype so that’s good.”

The cat was actually half shaved for surgery, but it is not clear why so much fur was removed.

But the best response was from someone who reckoned the cat is posing like Rose in the Titanic, making reference to the film portrait scene where Jack draws her, with the quote "Paint me like one of your French girls".

[carolinethain]

Pensioner Survived Four-Day Toilet Trap Ordeal By Knitting Scarf And Eating Mints

(Rex)

A pensioner who got stuck in a public toilet for four days has told how she passed the time by knitting a scarf and survived on mints.

Gladys Phillips, 82, went to use the loo in Felixstowe, which had not yet opened to the public.

The hi-tech locking system shut tight and it was not until four days later that painters discovered her inside.

She had no mobile phone and her bangs and shouts were unanswered – so she settled down and made a pink scarf for her granddaughter to keep boredom at bay.

(Rex)

The widow told the Suffolk Gazette how she warded off hunger with a full bag of mint imperials in her handbag, which ‘kept her spirits up no end’.

Stoical Gladys said: “I was not really concerned at first when I couldn’t get out, I was just relieved I’d managed to go to the loo.

“The loo was very clean and cosy. I was able to sleep on my big overcoat and was lovely and warm, and if I got cold I just sat under the hand dryer for a while.

“It was a great relief when the nice builder turned up and opened the door. He got quite a shock, I can tell you.”

What a legend.

[carolinethain]

Cornish Firemen ‘Upset’ Children With A Death Crash Santa ‘Joke’

(Credit: @SaltashCFRS/Twitter)

Oh no! Santa’s been run over and killed by a fire engine. So there’ll be no presents this year, kids!

That’s the message from prankster fire fighters who posted a grim image online of Father Christmas spread-eagled dead, across the front of their 13-tonne engine.

Alongside the picture, they Tweeted: “Thought we hit something on the way home… Sorry kids, Santa isn’t coming!”

But the Internet is divided over this, with some finding it funny, whereas others have questioned the appropriateness of such a stunt.

Saltash Fire Station in Cornwall was behind the joke, which shows a giant Santa decoration hanging from the vehicle’s front grille.

His head is dangling to the side and his legs are crumpled underneath him.

Visitors to their Twitter page have had a lot to say, with one responding: “You can’t tell kids on Twitter things like this!” And another called J.A commented: “Oh dear. Lots of little people gonna be upset with you.”

Fireman Luke Blakeston, who posted the upsetting snapshot, insists it was just meant to be a bit of fun.

And they’ve since updated worried locals to inform them that all is well.

(Credit: Twitter)

Phew! Let’s ho ho hope that the big cuddly gift-giving guy in red and white forgives them too.

[carolinethain]

The Girl Who Accidentally Dyed ‘Asda’ On To Her Head Got A Great Response From The Supermarket

(Craig Richardson/Facebook)

A girl who accidentally emblazoned the Asda logo on her head has had a funny response from the supermarket.

Instead of using a shower cap or cling film, she used a carrier bag to wrap around the dye.

This mishap printed the chain’s green block capitals into her newly dyed light blonde hair.

As if that’s not embarrassing enough, her brother posted the result on Facebook, much to the amusement of thousands of people.

Now he has posted Asda’s reply.

Craig Richardson posted the image, with the caption ‘Asda has pure banter’ and is updating the world on the latest.

(Craig Richardson/Facebook)

Asda’s letter included £10 for new hair dye, festive hats to cover up, a towel to use instead of a carrier bag and a bag for life.

It’s not advisable to use a carrier bag in this way. But it is one way to make the most of your 5p bag, isn’t it?

[carolinethain]

Police Hunt Suspect Who Appeared To Take Photos Up An Unsuspecting Shopper’s Skirt

(A vile ‘peeping Tom’ seems to snap images between the woman’s legs)

A pervert has been captured on CCTV taking pictures up a woman’s skirt on his mobile phone.

The suspect appears to be pretending to look at items on the low shelf, and twice leans over to an unsuspecting woman, hold the phone under her skirt and takes a photo.

Police at Scotland Yard have issued the shocking footage in a bid to catch the man, who is thought to be in his late 20s.

The incident took place last month in Boots, in the Tandem Centre, Colliers Wood.

A Metropolitan Police statement this morning said: “At 12.35pm on Thursday, November 5, a man, believed to be aged in his late 20s, was seen to walk around the Boots store in the Tandem Centre, Tandem Way, Colliers Wood without selecting any product.

“The man was caught on CCTV pretending to look at products behind the woman’s legs and take pictures up her skirt on his mobile phone.

“He later returned and took further pictures of the same woman. A security guard at the store challenged the suspect, told him to delete the images and asked him to leave the store.”

He is described as white, slim and 6ft with short brown hair and blue eyes. He was wearing a white T-shirt with ‘Adidas’ written across the front, navy blue tracksuit bottoms and brown shoes.

Anyone with information should contact Merton police.

(Images: SWNS)

[carolinethain]

Pregnant Teacher Asks Kids To Suggest Baby Names - With Hilarious Results

(Rex)

A pregnant teacher learned a lesson herself, when she asked the children she works with to suggest names for her unborn baby.

As you might expect, the results are pretty hilarious.

This picture was posted on Tumblr by notdeadbabies, who wrote: “My cousin is a preschool teacher and asked her students to suggest names for the baby she is expecting. It went well.”

(notdeadbabies/Tumblr)

Among the names that the preschoolers came up with were Grandma, Balloon and Cindy Elf.

Or Peter Pan (if they want him to never grow up), Racecar (to ensure the kid is really going places) – or Dog, who could turn out to be everyone’s best friend.

Obviously Assie, Tiny and Elephant could lead to some mean name-calling but Rooney’s not so bad for a football fan.

But hands down, the winning name has to be this vegetable-inspired moniker. We think Potato is smashing. Or, er, mashing, if you will.

If she does decide to call her baby Potato, I wonder if he’ll grow up to be a chip off the ol’ block.

[carolinethain]

Young Girl Gives Great Unexpected Answer To Test Question About Tornado Safety

(Imgur)

Being a teacher is hard work but often hilarious.

Pupils never fail to surprise with their genius amusing takes on what are supposed to be genuine test questions.

One little girl came up with a clever response, when she was asked: “In your opinion, which location would be most dangerous during a tornado?”

Nobody could have predicted what she would say but it’s simply brilliant. The snap was posted on Reddit recently by user patsfan94.

The multiple-choice test gave three answers of ‘in school’, ‘at a park’ and ‘in a store’.

Instead of picking one of those, she circled the instruction ‘Circle one.’ Then she wrote underneath: “It is way to dangerous to circle a tornado.”

Good, eh? Unfortunately, she used the wrong use of ‘to’ but nobody’s perfect.

[carolinethain]

Rescued Dog’s Coat Was So Badly Matted He Couldn’t See Or Walk

A poor poodle was so badly treated that he needed all his fur shaving off, after he was rescued - and the state he was in reduced a staff member to tears.

Nine-year-old miniature poodle Doug was taken to Portsmouth City Council kennels with his hair so tangled that he was blind and couldn’t walk.

His 1.3kg coat was removed by vets because the hair had grown over his eyes causing infection and meaning he could not see.

The hair was so tightly matted round him that it was pulling and pinching his skin, causing him pain, and leaving him unable to walk properly.

Scott Linnett, from Sanctuary Vets in Farlington, said: “In spite of the evident neglect, Doug was notably well behaved and allowed much of his fur to be clipped without any objection.

“It was only clipping towards his head that proved too much, at which point he was sedated to spare him any further discomfort.”

(All images: PA. Doug is feeling much better after a good hair cut and some tender loving care at the rescue centre.)

He was taken to the rescue centre by a teenager and her mum, who said they found him wandering the streets.

Lead kennel assistant at the council, Carol Plumbly, said: “This is one of the worst cases we’ve ever seen. One of our staff had to go home in tears.

“He could hardly hold his head up. We were just horrified. He’s a lovely boy. He doesn’t deserve what he’s had done to him.”

Now the RSPCA is appealing to anyone with information to contact them on 0300 123 8018, as they are keen to trace his owners.

[carolinethain]

People Who Post ‘Inspirational’ Quotes on Facebook Are Less Intelligent

(Image: Rex)

If you post sentimental ‘inspirational’ quotes on Facebook then you have lower intelligence, according to research.

We all have a friend on social media who goes in for those ‘artistic’ postcard designs with some well-meaning words over them. 

Perhaps you ARE that friend.

But apparently they are a sign that you are, well, a bit thick.

And people who post them are more likely to be religious and believe in conspiracy theories.

The study was called ‘On the reception and detection of pseudo-profound bulls**t’. It measured 845 volunteers across four experiments.

Psychologists asked volunteers to evaluate multiple ‘profound’ statements and say whether they agree with them or not.

They also made up some of their own buzzword –filled phrases and put them into one meaningless, or a very obvious, statement.

A follow-up test measured participants’ cognitive abilities.

Gordon Pennycook, a cognitive psychologist, explained in journal Judgement and Decision Making: “Our results support the idea that some people are more receptive to this type of bulls**t and that detecting it, is not merely a matter of indiscriminate skepticism, but rather a discernment of deceptive vagueness in otherwise impressive sounding claims.”

The researchers highlighted social media guru Deepak Chopra, who is best known for posting inspirational quotations.

[carolinethain]

This ‘Surprise’ Flat Above A Shop Is Actually Beautiful Inside

A flat above a shop might not be everyone’s dream home.

But this apartment is spectacularly lovely with three bedrooms, a Jacuzzi and huge impressive garden.

It looks a bit pokey from the front but the property, in leafy Rainford village, St Helens, has been described as “the perfect home for an executive couple or young family”.

It even has an outhouse, which was converted from a pony stable, into a small cottage, which could be used as an office.

On the market for £225k, it boasts a sweeping back garden, spread over three levels, which is  “completely enclosed and tranquil backing on to a private meadow”.

A private gate leads in to a side courtyard, which has a Mediterranean feel to the entrance, according to estate agents Sutton Kersh.

Harrods-bought fine Italian furniture comes with the purchase.

There’s ample parking - and the master bedroom has an en-suite Jacuzzi bathroom, at the property, which is a half an hour drive from the centre of Liverpool.

There’s also a dining room, lounge and kitchen area, a second bedroom and a loft conversion which provides a third bedroom.

AND it’s above a Co-op. Who could ask for more?

(All images: Sutton Kersh)

[carolinethain]

You Won’t Believe Where This Fearless Ex Paratrooper Camped

(Image: Caters)

There’s camping and then there’s this.

A former paratrooper pitched his tent in a very dangerous spot – just to get the perfect picture.

John Thow, 55, managed to set up his precarious camp on this bizarre mushroom-shape rock formation. It’s known as the Bonnet Stone, and is near Fife in Scotland.

He is no stranger to fear, having spent eight years in the Red Devils free fall division.

Although he admits it was tricky to get the pegs into the hard sandstone, John shrugs off the cliff-top perch as ‘nothing’ – compared to some of the places he stayed during his 14 years as a paratrooper.

But even more risky than scaling the edge to get on top of the cliff, was doing it all in the pitch black night, to get a better snapshot of it.

John, from Aberuthven, Perthshire, said: “It’s fair to say it is a very dangerous spot and not one I would recommend to anyone else.

“There is hardly any room up there so the only thing you can fit is the tent really and there is a 40-foot drop off the edge.

“It’s a very peaceful spot though with some beautiful views all around. It really is paradise for any outdoor lover.”

It took him 40 minutes to trek up the hills towards the rock, with only a head torch for light. Then he used telescopic ladders to clamber up the side before pitching his tent.

Rather him than me.