WEIRD STUFF

One in four couples approve of celebrity flings

Couples would allow each other to sleep with their celebrity crush.

A study from the cards retailer Thortful has revealed that a quarter of couples say they have agreed that they would let their partner have a one-off fling with their dream A-lister in the unlikely event of the opportunity arising.

A poll of 2,000 couples in the UK revealed that movie heartthrob Brad Pitt was the ideal fling for women while Barbie star Margot Robbie was first choice for men.

Other names to feature on celebrity crush lists include George Clooney, David Beckham, Scarlett Johansson and Jennifer Lawrence.

The survey comes as Thortful have released new cards where people can put their face on a celebrity's body.

The company's managing director Pip Heywood said: "British couples pride themselves on having a laugh with their partner, and Valentine's Day is no exception."

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Mystery predator on the prowl in England

Fears of a big cat prowling around Cumbria, in the north west of England, have been sparked after dead sheep were found in a field.

In total, 10 were spotted by 18-year-old student Harlem Karma in what he described as a "graveyard" full of "mutilated" carcasses in Kendal.

Karma, who hails from Lancaster, also claims to have spotted a leopard-sized creature near the scene which piqued his interest in finding the deadly beast.

He said: "Last year I saw what I believe to be a black, melanistic leopard.

"I was on the bus at the time - it effortlessly jumped over a dry stone wall into a wooded tree line.

"Since then I've collected several reports of an animal dating as far back as 2011."

Karma added: "I'm aiming to get some solid evidence of these mysterious creatures."

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Babies enjoy classical music

Classical music can help stimulate babies' development in the womb.

A research team in Mexico found that unborn babies have "more stable and predictable" heart rates if expectant parents are exposed to calm and soothing tones.

Measuring heart rate provides insight into the maturation of the foetal automatic nervous system, with greater variability indicating healthy development.

Study co-author Dr Claudia Lerma, from the National Institute of Cardiology in Mexico, said: "Overall, we discovered that exposure to music resulted in more stable and predictable foetal heart rate patterns.

"We speculate that this momentary effect could stimulate the development of the foetal autonomic nervous system."

Professor Abarca-Castro added: "Our results suggest that these changes in foetal heart rate dynamics occur instantly in short-term fluctuations, so parents might want to consider exposing their foetuses to quiet music.

"Parents who play soothing music may stimulate and benefit the foetal autonomic system."