A man who tried to sue a local council after he soiled his trousers tops a list of spurious public liability claims which cost local government and insurance companies an estimated £250m each year.
The man blamed the incident on the council's decision to close a public lavatory at the bus station and argued he was owed the cost of a new pair of trousers.

Compiling the list, the public sector insurer Zurich Municipal said exaggerated and dubious claims were an increasing problem. They include a man who claimed to have injured his arm after slipping on steps owned by a housing association. He had jumped out of his window to avoid being caught with another woman when his girlfriend returned home unexpectedly.

The list also features a bin man who made a claim against his council after being "startled" by a dead badger which fell out of a bag, a shoplifter who sued because she fell down stairs while running from the scene of a crime, and a motorist who claimed he did not see a traffic roundabout in daylight - despite there being a large tree in the middle.

A complete waste of my time and the taxpayers' money!

A few days ago I wrote about my starting another employment training course at the end of the month. Well, it's been brought forward; I attended the induction session this morning.

In the room with me there were eight other men. One was fifty five years old and was responsible for the constant care of his disabled son and whose wife would have to give up work if he were forced to continue on the course. Another man hadn't been able to hold down a job for over twenty years because of a severe sleep disorder and the young lad sitting opposite me was basically illiterate; and of course, there's myself, aged 44 and never had a job.

At the end of the session I needed to sort out who my 'personal advisor' is and took the opportunity to explain my unique circumstances; how, in particular I need someone to have a little faith in me. The young female trainer smiled and told me that because I've been selected for the course it shows that everyone who will be working with me has faith in me. I informed her that the only reason I'm on the course is that I'd have my benefit payments stopped or reduced if I didn't attend.

I don't think I like her patronising attitude already.

Teenager builds functioning submarine out of pig trough.

Shark found in desert.