Quote:"This whole story has been blown out of all proportion," said a spokeswoman for the Over and Sons garage in Aspatria. "It's true that last week a man walked onto our forecourt in the Market Place with a fox under his arm, pushed the nozzle of the compressed air line into the animal's rectum, put 20p in the slot, and pumped it until it exploded. But what the newspaper reports didn't mention was that the animal was already dead."

The spokeswoman explained that the garage had been under siege for several days following reports about the incident. "There were animal parts scattered all over the forecourt, and a lot of people were shocked and horrified. A report appeared in the local paper, talking about 'this sickening and horrible act,' and next day the nasty phone calls started. Animal rights activists even threatened to make reprisal attacks on the garage, and we had to call more staff in, because nobody would work here alone. But what had really happened was that an amateur taxidermist had brought the dead fox in, and asked if he could pump some air between the fur and the skin, to loosen the pelt. We said he could, but I think he overdid it a bit, then ran away in embarrassment. It ought to be obvious to anyone that the animal couldn't have been alive. I mean, it's hard enough to even hold a live fox, let alone insert an air-line up its rectum. I should imagine."

Police later confirmed that they had spoken to a man about the incident. "We are convinced that no criminal act has taken place, but we did warn him about the inadvisability of inflating animals in a public place." (The Times & Star [Cumbria], 23/6/00. Spotter: Wesley Stanton)

Quote:"This whole story has been blown out of all proportion," said a spokeswoman for the Over and Sons garage in Aspatria.