POLICE and prosecutors were strongly criticised yesterday for pursuing the case against two English teenagers who were cleared of plotting a Columbine-style massacre at their own school. A jury took just 45 minutes to clear Matthew Swift, 18, and Ross McKnight, 16, of planning to murder teachers and pupils at Audenshaw High School in Manchester. Following the verdicts, the barrister who defended one of the youngsters said it was an unnecessary, heavy-handed prosecution and an expensive waste of public money. The prosecution claimed the best friends were obsessed with Columbine killers Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold who murdered 13 people and then killed themselves at their high school in Colorado in 1999, and had planned a similar rampage named Project Rainbow. No explosives or firearms were discovered following their arrest in March. In a statement, McKnight said: This was just a fantasy. This was never a reality. D Thursday, September 17, 2009 METRO Who are you calling Hippo? Its Mr Hippo to you. Sitting in a pond in its enclosure, this hippo contemplates life at a zoo in Cologne, western Germany Picture: AFP Whats all this about nama then? men are driven to distraction poll AT LAST, 70 per cent of male drivers have admitted to being distracted by attractive passers-by when they are behind the wheel. By contrast, only 25 per cent of women said a good- looking pedestrian or fellow motorist would make them take their eyes off the road, according to research for the AA. The top distraction for both sexes was a nice view, with 75 per cent of motorists saying a spectacular landscape could draw their focus away from the road. Billboards, low- flying aircraft and road art also distract drivers, the poll revealed. Happy: Clare Irby yesterday Fondle case Guinness girl is acquitted A SOCIALITE accused of letting a stranger fondle her breasts during a flight has been cleared of being drunk on board an aircraft. Clare Irby, a descendant of the Guinness brewing family, was accused of drinking up to 12 glasses of red wine on the flight from Bangalore, India, to Londons Heathrow Airport. But a jury at Isleworth Crown Court, in west London, took just 40 minutes to unanimously find her not guilty of being drunk on board an aircraft. During the three-day trial, mother- of-one Irby, 30, denied being drunk, saying she was suffering from sleep deprivation after getting only two-and-a-half hours sleep in 48 hours. She said she had only drunk four or five glasses of wine and was tipsy, but not drunk, and had full control of her faculties. Ms Irby later said of the allegations, I was shocked. My jaw was on the floor. Columbine-style plot pairs case a waste Swift, left, and McKnight BY ROSS McDONAGH last chance to sign up to City Chase A THUMBTACK? An onion? Its A Wonderful Life DVD? The memory of a dead pet? What would you use if you needed to shed a tear on demand? The tear-off will be just one of the (not- so) secret challenges in the 2009 Dublin City Chase. This Saturday, the worlds largest ur- ban adventure series makes its return to Irelands capital. Last years contestants had to eat tripe and perform before a panel of judges in the National Concert Hall, and this year the obstacles promise to be more hilari- ous and bizarre than ever before. The part scavenger hunt, part adventure race calls on competitors to complete a series of challenges scattered all over the city as quickly as possible. However, participants can only use public transport to get around, defined as city bus, train, ferry, subway, or streetcar in the official rules although waiting on either of the latter three wont get you anywhere very fast. Any form of private transportation, car, taxicab, skateboard, scooter, motor- cycle, inline skates, hand glider, magic carpet, camel and rickshaw are strictly prohibited, the rules add. However, rumour has it, those friendly ecocab guys who ferry people around Dublin city centre for free are... allowed! A few quid to keep one on a retainer for a few hours might not be a bad idea. Just dont tell anyone we told you. If you havent already registered, you have less than a day to find a partner and get signed up. Registration costs 85 per team at www.citychasedublin.com. Victory: Last years Irish winners cross the finish line index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html24.html25.html26.html27.html