Paper Monitor
A service highlighting the riches of the daily press.
It's a rare day in newsworld when all the newspapers plus the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ and Sky think something wacky is a story.
So it is with some surprise that Paper Monitor observes that the Sun, Daily Mirror, Daily Star, Daily Mail, Daily Express, Guardian, Independent, and Times have picked up yesterday's Daily Telegraph story that Lord Lucan is living rough in New Zealand with a pet possum.
Even the Telegraph feels moved to run with it again today.
Except half of them are pointing out that it's obviously not Lord Lucan. The "suspect" is too short, too young and has piercing pale blue eyes. Only a peawit could genuinely think this is Lord Lucan. The possum is a more convincing match.
There are plenty of silly summer stories without resorting to this hoary old favourite.
In the Express, there is news of a "floating brothel" onboard a speedboat that sets up shop off Studland nudist beach in Dorset.
In the Metro, and others, there is the bizarre account of the Frenchman and two Germans who crossed the Channel on a raft made of oil-drums, dodging freighters before being arrested on arrival in Folkestone.
Isn't that enough to be getting on with?