Toxic waste eating 'superworms' have been found in the United Kingdom.

The worms could prove useful, and be put to use helping cleanse polluted industrial land.

The worms have been found in disused mining sites in Britain and Wales. They consume heavy metals, including lead, zinc, arsenic and copper.

The University of Reading's Mark Hodson, UK, who lead the survey finding the worms, said: "These worms seem able to tolerate incredibly high concentrations of heavy metals, and the metals seem to drive their evolution. If you took an earthworm from the back of your garden and put it in these soils, it would die."

DNA analysis of one type of worm from Wales confirmed it is part of a new, as yet unnamed species. Two other varieties in England are expected to be confirmed as new species, too.

Man drunk on mare's milk

A Khazakh man has escaped a drunk-driving charge because he was intoxicated with mare's milk.

The man admits he'd been drinking a brew known locally as 'Kumys', which is made from fermented mare's milk and can contain up to four per cent alcohol.

Kumys is drunk for medicinal purposes and not listed as an alcoholic beverage in Kazakhstan.

The man, Mr Iskendirov, says he'd drunk around three pints of kumys and was not intoxicated with beer, as police believed when they arrested him behind the wheel of his car in July.

Upon producing a note from his doctor prescribing Kumys, the court dropped all charges against him.

Heavy metal 'superworms' found in UK

A United States man repeatedly stabbed himself after an argument arising from his dog eating his brother's watermelon.

The man injured himself repeatedly to prove he wasn't afraid of pain, according to police officers. The argument began when the dog ate the watermelon and escalated from a shouting match to the dog owner's savage self-wounding.

Police arrived and helped the injured man to hospital, while his brother barricaded himself in a room. He reportedly used a saw and hammer to place pieces of wood across the door, to keep police out - despite their insistence he wouldn't be arrested as his brother's wounds were self-inflicted.

Police officer Jamie Kennealy said: "During his barricading construction project, he stated that he wasn't going to get arrested for stabbing his brother."

The dog was reportedly unharmed.

Macho madman

A United Kingdom pupil, who fed teachers at her school marijuana cakes, has been forced to move schools.

Two teaching staff from the school in Leeds, Northern England, were hospitalised after eating the cakes, brought in by a girl, believed to be aged 15.

No official complaint by the Wortley High School has been made and no police action taken, but the pupil was suspended while an investigation took place, and has now been moved to another school.

A statement by a spokesperson for Leeds City Councial said: "Wortley High School does not condone drugs and was disappointed that this incident took place. Following a swift investigation, it took appropriate action which removed the pupil from the school while allowing her to remain in education."