Chewing gum thieved for Romanian Currency

And Wills & Kate immortalised as Barbie Dolls

Hi I'm Rachael Downie and you're watching....well, you know what its time for!

Hundreds of pounds worth of chewing gum is being stolen from British stores to use as currency.....in Romania.

Chewing gum and other small packets of sweets are commonly offered instead of small change by shopkeepers according to a police officer who has investigated the thefts.

PC David Walton, of West Mercia Police, said it was a growing problem for supermarkets across the Midlands and North Yorkshire.

On 16 January two Romanian nationals were jailed for stealing £800 worth of chewing gum from stores in Worcester the previous day.

"What they do in effect is they go down the aisles and empty the whole box into their trolley.

"They always have a vehicle outside, they never use public transport and they target stores on retail parks like Asda and Morrissons because there is less chance of getting blocked in by traffic, like in the town centres."

Thefts have been reported as far afield as Lincolnshire, Wimbledon, Cambridge and Wiltshire.

And in other news, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are to be immortalised......as a pair of Barbie dolls.

They depict the royal couple on their wedding day, with Kate wearing a lace white dress and veil inspired by the Alexander McQueen design she wore and William in his red Irish Guards uniform.

The dolls, which are aimed at adult collectors, will be on sale from April to coincide with the pair's first anniversary but can be pre-ordered now.

A spokesman for toy manufacturer Mattel said: "Available in April timed to their one-year wedding anniversary, the gift set features the two wearing outfits inspired by their regal wedding day attire."

The Barbie Collector Royal Wedding William and Catherine Doll Set can be bought on Amazon for £99.99.

That's just about it from me today. Tomorrow, two more topical stories that are hot off the net uk! Bye for now.