LONDON, May 14 (UPI) -- The Royal Air Force is using instructions on the many uses of condoms as a tactic to lure young British men to sign up for the RAF Regiment.

A total of 20,000 prophylactics are being mailed in a recruitment drive, The Sun reports. They're mounted on cards with the instruction "Apply to weapon when on maneuvers."

The cards -- invitations to an RAF Regiment presentation -- describe the many uses for condoms besides their generally understood purpose. They can be used -- without lubrication -- as a water container, as a tourniquet to stop bleeding and to protect weapons from sand.

"We felt the condom would appeal to the target audience and hopefully encourage them to think about the RAF Regiment in a different way rather than just at face value," said Emily White of the government's Central Office of Information, which designed the campaign.

The RAF Regiment, ground troops attached to the RAF, began in World War I as a security force for airfields. Recently, the regiment has served in Sierra Leone, Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait.

WWII vet ticketed for misplaced recyclable

NORWICH, England, May 14 (UPI) -- Trash collectors in Norwich, England, town refused to pick up a 96-year-old man's garbage after he put two bottles in the blue barrel instead of the green box.

Lenny Woodward, a widowed great-grandfather and World War II veteran, lives alone in Norwich. He told The Daily Mail he was confused by new regulations that involve a blue barrel for cardboard and cans, a green box for glass and a black barrel for trash.

"They could have knocked on my door and spoken to me about it instead of putting a note on the bin saying they would not empty it," he said. "It all seems very childish. I've never broken the law before. I haven't even had a parking fine or speeding ticket."

Woodward's daughter said she tried calling the city council and was told only that "rules have to be obeyed."

Normally, Woodward's trash would have remained uncollected for two weeks. But it was picked up after two days -- once the story hit the local newspaper.

'Boot boy' gets Mercedes as tip

BIRMINGHAM, England, May 14 (UPI) -- Oliver Kapo's boot boy, James McPike, was hoping for a pair of old boots after a season's service to the British soccer star, but all he got was a new Mercedes.

The car is worth about 30,000 pounds ($60,000), The Daily Mail reported.

McPike is boot boy -- or apprentice player -- with Birmingham City, the team Kapo joined last year after playing for Juventus in Italy. Boot boys, who are paid considerably less than the star players, get a chance to learn the game while performing chores for the players they are assigned to.

A source on the team told the newspaper McPike specifically asked for a pair of boots as an end-of-season thank you.

"He was obviously disappointed when Kapo replied he had taken them home with him," the source said. "He perked up considerably when he was tossed a set of keys."

Kapo drove McPike to his house, gave him the paperwork on the car and told him he would pay the insurance for a year.

Alex McLeish, the team manager, said he was touched by the "magnificent gesture." He also asked Kapo if he had any plans for the house he still owns in Turin "but he only smiled."

Fan knits tribute to 'Dr. Who,' BBC irked

LONDON, May 14 (UPI) -- A British fan of the long-running BBC show "Doctor Who" was threatened with legal action for creating knitted versions of the show's monsters.

The 26-year-old woman -- who wants to be known only by her work name, "Mazzmatazz" -- told The Times of London she is "just an ordinary person who likes knitting." She created knitting patterns for Ood, a squid-faced creature, and Adipose, a monster made out of human fat, and posted them on her Web site.

She took the knitting patterns off-line when the BBC notified her that she was infringing on its copyright.

Becky Hogge, executive director of the Open Rights Group -- a British organization that advocates on digital rights and civil liberties issues -- suggested copyright law needs to be changed to protect fan tributes to popular movies, TV shows and books.

"We need to recognize that there is a difference between selling knock-off hand-bags in the market, and fans who are making tributes and contributing to creativity in the future," said Hogge.

A BBC spokesman said the broadcaster does not like going after fans but had to protect Adipose and Ood because knitted versions were showing up for sale on eBay.