We’ve come around to journalism with originality again, but this time there’s no headline (the first line says all you need to know). You are given rather more than half the original article, taken word for word from an American paper, and you are asked to write something to fill in the gap, so that it makes reasonable sense as an article. The aim is make it seem like a real report, but not necessarily anything like the original.

Jim Babcock, of Pittsburgh, is America’s dumbest crook. Police say he tried to break into a shed, punching out a window and cutting his hand. So he decided to do a garage instead. He climbed a tree, went in an upstairs window - and fell through a hole to the first floor. There he stumbled into a grease pit, and split his head open. Babcock then broke into the house, and fell down the stairs, scraping his arm and leg. Possibly sensing that this wasn’t his night, he jumped into his car to leave – and hit a tree, banging his head on the windshield. He got out of the car, carefully locking the door ....................................................................................... He was convicted of breaking and entering.

The original report had a further 61 words which are omitted. So your task is to add, say, between about 30 and 70 words to complete it. I’ll send you the final version after you’ve all submitted. Send your entries to Catherine, please, by Alpha Day 8 (February 2nd).

I won’t be competing in this one, because I know the original, and in no way could I beat that!