Hero
Geronimo, a chocolate alpaca on death row in Gloucestershire, who has made friends in high places. Environment Secretary George Eustice is insisting that Geronimo should be put down after testing positive for bovine tuberculosis, but his owner claims the tests were faulty. Times columnist Matthew Parris has said: “I vow never to be horrid about our prime minister again, if only he can save poor Geronimo. Over to you, Boris.”
Hero
Nigel Farage, whose quip about the Royal National Lifeboat Institution being a “migrant taxi service” has sparked a wave of donations to the charity. A fundraising page set up on Saturday, which proposes buying the RNLI a new hovercraft and naming it “The Flying Farage”, has raised more than £74,000 of its £100,000 target.
Villains
Male nudists, who are wandering free in historic Sherwood Forest, causing widespread outrage. Visitors have petitioned the RSPB and Nottinghamshire council to crack down on the large groups of naked men. One said: “There is no need to walk about naked. Clothes do not stop you enjoying the forest.”
Hero
Mexico, which has taken America’s biggest gun-makers to court over their role in arming drugs cartels south of the border. Mexico has one gun shop in the entire country, making it almost impossible to obtain guns legally. But the Mexican government says companies such as Smith & Wesson are responsible for more than 500,000 guns entering the country each year, then being used to deadly effect in the never-ending cartel turf wars.
Hero
Margaret Thatcher, who began Britain’s transition to net zero, according to Boris Johnson. On a trip to Scotland on Thursday, the PM said: “Thanks to Margaret Thatcher, who closed so many coalmines across the country, we had a big early start and we’re now moving rapidly away from coal altogether.” His supporters in red-wall constituencies may not feel so grateful.