Might as Well Jump

It's all fun and games until somebody dressed as a tomato gets kicked in the head.

A former city mayor was ruing an expensive slip-up today after his failure to vault a giant human tomato cost his council £24,000.

Jim Rodgers accidentally kicked Belfast City Council employee Lorraine Mallon in the head in a publicity stunt that went spectacularly wrong.

Ms Mallon, who was dressed up as the huge fruit for a photo shoot to promote a gourmet food fair, suffered a slipped disc in the ill-fated leap.

[...]


Egged on by press photographers, Mr Rodgers tried to jump over her but he slipped on wet grass on his run up and ended up kneeing her in the back of the head.

[...]

"I have been absolutely devastated over what has happened," he said.

[...]

"I just caught the top of her head and unfortunately I injured her." Mr Rodgers said he was confident he would have been able to make the jump if he hadn't slipped.

Do click thru to the Scotsman site, the picture there of Jim Rodgers "attempt[ing] to jump a vegetable-themed employee" is priceless. 

[Scotsman.com] via [TheAwl]