Man invents tiger scare to skip work, arrested hours later.
By Our Norfolk Reporter: Ian Bred
IPSWICH AIRPORT – A Suffolk man has been arrested after inventing a story about an escaped tiger near his workplace in an attempt to avoid going to work.
Graeme Brown, 54, had been employed as a Sales Advisor at Speedy Car Rental at Ipswich Airport for 26 years. Colleagues say he had recently grown weary of the role, describing it as “relentlessly repetitive,” and had struggled to maintain cordial relations with staff, including his female manager, whom he was said to find “particularly difficult before 9am.”
Having exhausted his annual leave entitlement, Mr Brown allegedly devised an alternative plan after watching a television documentary about tigers the evening before. Police say he then contacted the airport on Tuesday morning, claiming that a large tiger had been seen roaming near the premises.
Fur goodness sake!
The report prompted immediate concern, with airport staff initiating precautionary measures and contacting authorities. Within minutes, Mr Brown received a call from his manager advising him not to come into work “until the situation was clarified”, a development sources say he initially regarded as “a breakthrough.”
However, the disruption proved short-lived. After approximately two hours, during which no tiger materialised and no supporting evidence was found, suspicions began to grow. Mr Brown was subsequently asked to attend work as normal.
Upon arrival, he was met not by customers but by police officers, who arrested him on suspicion of wasting police time. Authorities confirmed that no tiger had escaped, nor was there any indication that one had been in the vicinity.
A spokesperson for Suffolk Police said the incident had diverted resources unnecessarily. Mr Brown’s employer has not commented publicly, though sources suggest his staff discount privileges are now “under review”.
Mr Brown is expected to reflect on his actions, possibly from a location considerably less flexible than his previous workplace.