Ziggy's Caption Competition: 05-09-2007

[hoopsaaa]

"Well would i know i hadn't changed my jonks in a month?"

[Puckoon]

"Maybe If I learn to land just right, Paul Berry wont be such a big loss after all"

[armaghniac]

Irish News

Note the Gaaboard style spelling standards, with apologized in line 1 and apologise in a later line.

BELFAST lord mayor Jim Rodgers has apologized for leaving a council employee with a severe back injury and unable to work after a publicity stunt went wrong.  Doctors have told the city hall worker that she narrowly avoided being paralysed when he tried to leapfrog over her while she was dressed as a tomato.
Lorraine Mallon suffered a slipped disc when she was struck by Mr Rodgers' knee. She has not returned to work since the accident at the launch of a Gourmet Festival at Botanic Gardens in south Belfast last month. Ms Mallon, in her late twenties,had been asked to wear the costume to promote the event and posed for photographs with Mr Rodgers. At one point photographers asked him to leapfrog over her. Council officials are understood to have advised against the stunt. But as a group of visiting Japanese tourists watched, Mr Rodgers ran forward and attempted to vault over Ms Mallon. "I'd made a few practice runs and decided to go for it but it had been raining and the grass was slippy and when I ran up to jump over her I slipped and caught her in the neck," he said. "I apologised to her straight away and said I hoped she was all right but unfortunately her injury got worse later that day and she had to go to hospital." It is understood that Ms Mallon developed serious neck pains and that an MRI scan revealed the slipped disc. "It was a pure accident and I feel absolutely terrible about what happened," Mr Rodgers said. "I've been in contact with Lorraine to apologise again and to ask if there's anything I can do. "I've regretted what happened every day since but it really was a pure accident." The east Belfast Ulster Unionist councillor, elected lord mayor earlier this year on the toss of a coin, said the stunt going wrong would not stop him trying to improve the health of other council employees. "I've told all the staff in the council that I'll be hosting get-fit classes at the city hall's rotunda at 7am every morning and I want as many of them as possible to come along and try to touch their toes with me," he said. "I've been a fitness fanatic all my life and I'm determined to help improve the health of every member of staff in city hall."