WHAT with the economic downturn, public service cuts and international disasters, doom and gloom has dominated the news recently.

So we wonder if it is precisely because of this that jokers across the county enthusiastically embraced the spirit of April Fool’s Day yesterday.

Changing the village signs at Bampton, asking for Anne Fibian at Cotswold Wildlife Park and rumours of an escaped snake all raised a chuckle.

Of course, the Oxford Mail got in on the act with our own spoof story about fears over splinters at the World Pooh Sticks Championships.

Readers will be delighted to know that Terry Fied from the Health and Safety Board will not be enforcing plastic pooh sticks.

We hope it brought a smile to faces across Oxfordshire.