Sleuth special: Crazy story of the week

Sleuth’s just seen this from the Greater Manchester borough of Wigan, from that esteemed organ The Wigan Evening Post.

It’s made him happy over the insanity of the world.

Here we go.

‘Red heads can now have a free ticket to ride - Wigan's newest transport company is offering free tickets to passengers with red hair. From Monday 7 December, those with fiery manes can travel free on routes between Wigan, Warrington, St Helens and Skelmersdale on Strawberry Buses.

‘Although designed to add a touch of fun to their daily drives, the campaign also hopes to raise awareness of the decline of redheads. Strawberry claims that research shows red and ginger hair colours will die out inside the next 100 years. Wigan now has less than two per cent of residents with natural red locks.

‘Strawberry Bus managing director Oliver Howarth said: "At Strawberry we love everything red, so when we heard about the decline of red-haired people we wanted to do mark the news with our own tribute to redheads."

‘UK scientists say that racial integration and migration will reduce the number of people with red hair.

‘The proportion of redheads is about two per cent, apart from in Ireland and Scotland where numbers rise to eight per cent. People must inherit two specific genes – one from each parent – to have red hair.

‘Chances are smaller and that's why there are so few redheads. Strawberry will offer the Redhead promotion until December 15.

‘Bus drivers will have a colour chart to check passengers qualify. Dyed red hair will also count and drivers will not seek proof that patrons are natural redheads.’

Crazy.

Sleuth’s heard about the decline of redheads previously but didn’t realise it was getting so difficult for this blessed race. Curiously orangutan's are also faced with extinction. Why does the world hate redheads so?

Sleuth’s also intrigued by the fact that ‘people must inherit two specific genes – one from each parent – to have red hair’. He's looking through his family tree to see if there are any gingerbread men and women in his past - that'll prove he's eligible as a ginger parent. If so he’ll go mating for the public good, as a matter of urgency in the preservation of an endangered species. Maybe he can get a NWDA grant.

Then again maybe this clever bit of PR is to make sure somebody, anybody, goes to Skelmersdale voluntarily, even if it is for free.

Some famous redheads

Nicole Kidman

Sarah Ferguson

Orangutan

Mick Hucknall