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April Fools' Day: The best pranks from the papers and the web

It’s that time of year again - as April 1 rolls around, newspapers and websites try to outdo each other with the most elaborate and believable prank stories.

Here’s a round-up of the best (and worst) efforts from April Fools' Day 2014.

ITV reckon chickens have produced cube-shaped eggs.

They claimed the square-shaped eggs came from a Freedom Food Farm in Suffolk.

The Daybreak website said this morning: ‘While the shape makes it convenient for eating, it also means making egg sarnies has become even simpler.’


In royal news, The Sun say the Queen has given approval for fracking on the grounds of Buckingham Palace.

The tabloid say ‘huge sections of the historic 40-acre garden will be ripped up for vital exploratory work.’


Many stories coming out of North Korea seem implausible at the best of times, but this gag was clearly the work of April Fools pranksters.

The Mirror claimed today that leader Kim Jong Un has banned boyband One Direction from entering the secretive state - unless they get hair cuts just like him.

This one was cooked up off the back of last week’s news (now proved a hoax) that men in North Korea have reportedly been ordered to get haircuts just like their ‘Dear Leader’.


The world of sport isn't safe from the perils of April Fools' Day - and the Daily Express came up with a pretty far-fetched football effort this morning.

They reported that Arsenal and Tottenham will enter an unlikely ground-share at the Emirates Stadium, after Tottenham shelved plans for a new stadium.

The paper said Spurs chairman Daniel Levy 'met with as many as 10 Arsenal officials for a series of negotiations before sealing the deal'.


Even the straight-laced science world showed it has a sense of humour, as the partical physics lab CERN joined the April Fools' Day fun.

In a more subtle April Fools' gag, CERN said on their website they'd changed the font of all their official communications to Comic Sans.

A spokesperson said: 'We thought the most effective way to communicate our research into the fundamental structure of matter at the very boundaries of technology was by changing the font.'


We’re all familiar with the ‘selfie’ trend now it’s permeated every area of social media, but the Metro appeared to finally deliver the news we’ve all been waiting for this morning.

Their website claimed that government ministers are planning a ban on selfies, to come into force later this year.

They reckon a new branch of the Department for Culture, Media & Sport has drafted proposals for a ban - meaning people can only upload ten selfies a month. Upload an 11th and they face a £25 fine.


An imaginative effort from Wales saw plans revealed for an 'underwater pub' in Cardiff.

Wales Online wrote that Brains Brewery will build a UK first when they create the unique boozer in the Welsh capital.

They said: 'Drinkers will be able to sip a pint of the brewer’s finest ales while admiring the aquatic life in the Bay through the windows of the Aqua Nova bar.'

We smell something fishy.....


The Daily Mail said today that the St George flag is in for a dramatic makeover.

Their website said the flag will be redesigned minus the blue Scottish saltire if the Scots vote for independence.

They said secret government papers revealed the change - and even appeared to go to the trouble of mocking-up a ‘leaked aide picture’ to accompany the story.


The media always have their fun on April Fools Day, but eager PRs and social media managers are also desperate to get in on the act.

One of the best efforts we saw this year was by Dominos Pizza, who released pictures of a bizarre ‘dough box’ which looked, well… good enough to eat.

A lazier PR effort saw Toblerone - them of triangular chocolate fame - claim they are turning their well-known bar ‘square’. Must try harder…..