Thin Santa fights flab

General News - Thursday December 20, 2007

ODD and ENDS

Thin Santa fights flab

A health-conscious Santa Claus at a shopping centre in Edinburgh, Scotland is refusing to wear a pillow under his suit because he fears it may promote child obesity.

Bill Winton, a slim 80-year-old, said if children viewed a fat Father Christmas as a role model they could grow up thinking that it was all right to be overweight.

According to the Daily Telegraph he decided to remove his extra padding after noticing the young children sitting on his knee had become heavier over the years.

"The parents and kids have been asking why I'm so thin and I say 'Santa's been on a diet' and everyone is in agreement that it is a good idea.

Muffin man

British Airways have reportedly suspended a cabin crew steward for eating a muffin that a passenger had left uneaten on a meal tray, according to the newspaper The Sun.

BA are said to be treating the incident as theft after he was reported at Heathrow airport on Monday.

The man's colleagues are furious with the decision, branding the airline "heavy handed".

One BA worker told The Sun: "The cabin crew member on a long-haul flight took a muffin destined for the bin.

"Now his career hangs in the balance. Everyone is up in arms - it is a disgusting way to treat a member of staff."

The move to suspend the worker comes after another BA flight attendant was told she could not wear a crucifix to work as it was offensive to other religions.

A spokesman for the company said: "It is half-baked to suggest we are suspending someone over a muffin."

Seasonal sickness

The holiday break in Britain has started earlier than ever this year for many people.

More workers phoned in sick on Tuesday than any other day of the year.

An estimated one in 23 workers - or 4.3% of the UK's total workforce - stayed at home Tuesday, according to experts.

Absence management firm FirstCare, which monitors UK businesses, said in addition to people taking crafty sick days when they were feeling fine, there had been soaring levels of actual sickness.

It said many employees will tidy their desks before leaving tomorrow and not reappear at work for another 16 days, not until Monday, Jan 7.

Toilet language

An American woman who was facing jail for swearing at her toilet has been acquitted.

Dawn Herb, 31, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, was charged after an off duty police officer overheard her swear at an overflowing toilet.

Officer Patrick Gilman told the hearing he heard someone yell: "Are you ------- retarded? Get me the ------- mop." Patrolman Gilman said he then yelled, "Watch your mouth", to which the person replied: "---- off."

Missing date

A Welsh council has sacked its printing company - for missing St David's Day off its 2008 calendar sent to residents. The Lancashire firm had important dates in the Chinese and Islamic year, but failed to mark March 1.

Ceredigion officials, in Dyfed, said: "It's a glaring error."

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