Former Mirror group executive, Colin Harrow, should know better than to indulge in irony in newspapers. He and his wife noted an article in their local paper, the Cumberland News, claiming that incomers from the south were releasing grey squirrels in the area, which prides itself on being one of the last bastions of red squirrels.
The Harrows responded with a spoof letter to the paper: "We would like to inform any interested parties that we (formerly southerners) have just returned to our cottage with a crate full of wild grey squirrels from Epping Forest which we would be happy to supply to any other 'outcomers', homesick for the south and in need of the odd grey squirrel to make them feel at home."
The result? A visit from two police officers who said they had received complaints from members of the public that the couple could be keeping squirrels in crates. As Colin should know, readers have a habit of taking things literally. (Via Evening Standard)
