A police officer from Redditch dubbed “Memory Cop” has broken his own record after his mind-blowing facial recognition skills have helped him catch more than 3,000 suspects. Eagle-eyed community support officer Andy Pope uses his special talent to remember the faces of wanted men and women. Despite his forte for faces, he admits: “My wife has to deal with things like birthdays and anniversaries. When it comes to dates, I’m useless.”
Redditch Advertiser (Dragh Brady)
Leave ’em hanging
A lollipop man has been told to stop high-fiving schoolchildren by a council because it delays motorists and stops young people focusing on the road. Neil Cotton, 57, shared high-fives with schoolchildren as he patrolled a busy junction in Howden, while wearing his fluorescent jacket and holding a stop sign. The decision to rebuke Cotton annoyed some parents, who accused the local authority of unnecessary meddling.
Times (Kate McIntosh)
Trumpety dumped
A man says he will pay “whatever it takes” to have a 20ft-long fibreglass elephant returned to his home after Medway Council removed it from his driveway. Trevor Robinson is pleading with the council to get the pachyderm – originally designed as a water slide – back. But pleased neighbours have praised the council for removing the multicoloured “monstrosity” amid safety concerns.
BBC News (Amanda Welles)
[See also: How to do it like a movie star]
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This article appears in the 02 Jul 2025 issue of the New Statesman, Just Raise Tax!