Paper Monitor
11:19 UK time, Friday, 17 April 2009
A service highlighting the riches of the daily press.
A year is a long time in the Times newsroom.
Its front page declares a new cause to champion. "Councils' surveillance powers are being used to enforce petty regulations," it declares.
So what "petty regulations" are these? Well, "minor offences such as dog fouling and litter", it says.
Rewind 12 months and the same paper enlisted the help of author Bill Bryson to spearhead a campaign against - you know - nasty people throwing rubbish on the ground.
So "minor" was littering considered to be in April 2008 that it merited nine Times articles in five days, each one wringing its hands about "trash-scattering motorists" and "rubbish-dumpers".
In an editorial, the paper bemoaned how litterers were going unpunished. But it could see hope on the horizon in the shape of new powers being used to catch offenders.
"New plans to empower councils to use existing traffic cameras to fine registered keepers for any litter thrown from cars are therefore welcome," it proclaimed.
Elsewhere, good to see the Daily Mail keeping up its freaky-animal-antics quota, but readers could be forgiven for feeling a little underwhelmed this time. On page three, it features a "fox that thinks it's a dog".
By doing what? Curling up comfortably in someone's living room? Going for walkies? Eating from Fido's bowl? Not quite. By standing up. Unlike the story, some might cruelly add.
Let's close with some creative headlines for the picture of David Beckham posing as The Terminator for a new advert:
"I'LL BE BECK" - Sun and Daily Star
"X-RAY BECKS" - Daily Mirror
Cue collective sighs from all caption competition fans...
The 
