Barber forced to shell out to council over turtles gag

A barber who counts Premier League footballers among his customers has had to shell out £240 (€287) after he put joke signs on drain covers saying “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles now hiring, inquire within”.

Newcastle City Council did not see the funny side of Patrick Forster’s attempt to raise a smile at the weekend, and an environmental health officer visited his shop and gave him a fixed penalty notice for littering.

The 31-year-old said his joke was not advertising and was just meant to make people laugh. Forster said: “When I opened the shop 18 months ago, I didn’t advertise in the window, I put up funny signs to make people laugh. I had the idea about the turtles and I just thought it was funny so I waited until the weather was nice and Saturday was the perfect opportunity.”

teenage mutant ninja turtles now hiring inquire within #funny #GoodSunday pic.twitter.com/KynkX67JYO

— Mohamed KHALLOUFI (@C_Med) November 10, 2013

Customers have backed him on Twitter, using the hashtag Turtlegate and well-wishers have sent him pictures on Facebook of themselves dressed as turtles.