Last week was ...

A Good Week for kilts, as police in Lincoln, New Hampshire, launched a "Kilts for Cops" fundraising campaign to enable officers to wear the garments during a three-day Scottish festival. "I've had the idea to wear a kilt for a long time," said police sergeant Michael Tamulonis, "but the cost is prohibitive".

A Bad Week for clowns, as a Texan helicopter pilot working for the US Border Patrol, spotted a man wearing bright red pants, a multi-coloured shirt, white make-up, a blue nose and a rainbow-coloured wig near the Mexican border. The man identified himself as a professional clown from Honduras. He was trying to get the attention of the pilot because he was tired and wanted to return to his family in Honduras.

A Holistic Week for pets, as the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society in Colorado reported a membership figure of 373 vets. A further 600 vets and 1,000 "non-vet animal practitioners" belong to the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association.