Elton John Holds stag party ahead of "Wedding"

British pop icon Elton John and his boyfriend threw a stag party with a difference on Monday night to celebrate their imminent ‘marriage,’ with a host of celebrities and male models.

John and long-term partner David Furnish plan to hold a civil partnership ceremony on Wednesday -- the first day such vows can be exchanged in England and Wales under a new law giving legal recognition to gay relationships.

To mark the occasion, the high-profile couple held a joint stag party at the Too2Much club in London's trendy West End.

Among some 180 friends and family who were invited were rock star Bryan Adams, members of the US pop group Scissor Sisters and reformed boy band Take That.

Actresses Liz Hurley and Elizabeth Taylor were also reportedly on the guest list.

Television presenter Paul O'Grady, who compeered the party, said: "We're going to tie them to a lamppost, cover them with shaving foam -- it's an old-fashioned stag do."

In Britain, heterosexual couples traditionally go out and celebrate separately ahead of their wedding.

Women throw so-called hen parties, which typically involve a lot of drinking, hiring a male stripper and making the bride-to-be do stupid dares. At the same time, the men have a large night out which also often comprises alcohol, strip clubs and bad behaviour.

John and Furnish did it slightly differently by holding the party together.

Inside the exclusive venue, topless waiters wearing black ties and riding boots were seen serving guests with flutes of champagne, while deliveries of sushi and presents were taken through the main entrance.

The British singer and his Canadian filmmaker partner are among the first couples in England and Wales to take advantage of new laws that came into force in Britain on December 5 allowing gay couples to exchange vows.

The first such ceremonies took place in Northern Ireland on Monday and more were due to happen in Scotland on Tuesday.

Civil partnerships confer legal status on homosexual unions, allowing them similar tax and inheritance benefits as heterosexual couples.

The showbiz couple will conduct their civil partnership ceremony at the elegant 17th century Windsor Guildhall in Berkshire in southern England -- where Britain's Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles married in April.

Wedding guests pay £300. Plus £170 for the stag/hen do!

By the time he walks his little girl down the aisle, the average father of the bride will have come to terms with the £17,000 he has had to fork out for the wedding - he had, after all, been expecting it for years.

But for the assembled guests looking on from the pews, the personal cost of attending may not be something they had bargained for.

It costs each guest £300 on average to attend a wedding, a study has found. Added together, an average 100 guests spend £30,000 on the special day - far more than the father of the bride.

That is £90 on travel and accommodation, more than £30 each on alcohol, and £50-plus on a gift for the happy couple.

Then of course, there is a new outfit to think about. On average, guests spend £84.70 on this, with £9.20 on a hat to top it off, the survey for the debit card Maestro showed.

Factor in an extra £170 for attending the stag or hen night, and it all starts to seem a bit much.

"We'd love to attend," reply the wedding-goers with sometimes forced glee, as their wallets and holiday allowances take the strain in peak wedding season.

But how many of them would go so far as re-wrapping a gift that had been given to them? Ten per cent, the research shows.

The most sought after gift remains traditional cutlery or crockery. But the best gift is not necessarily the most expensive one, said Nigel Turner, the marketing director of Maestro UK.

"Weddings have always been a time to splash out, but we believe that it is important to budget sensibly while still joining in the celebration and merriment.

"Low cost gifts can often mean as much to the happy couple as an expensive one. For example, filming the ceremony and turning it into an everlasting gift will not only save you money but will also ensure that the bride and groom do not forget your contribution as soon as the honeymoon is over," he said.

Those in the North-East are the most wedding fashion-conscious, spending £40 more than the national average on their outfits. Londoners, it seems, are the most generous guests to invite, spending an average £10 more on wedding gifts.

Men are more generous than women when buying wedding gifts. They spend on average £65, while women spend less than £50, the research showed.

Women are twice as likely to scour the wedding list for the cheapest item, and are three times more likely than men to find their gift on the internet auction site eBay.

Men also spend more than women on the married-to-be's send-off - with the average stag night costing each person £185, £30 more than the average hen night.

But it is not all bad news for wedding-goers.

While love is in the air, guests could be buying in to romance for themselves, as well as the bride and groom, the survey of 1,200 people by Experian showed.

Researchers calculated that 1.4 million Britons had met their partner at a wedding, a romantic potential helping to offset the costs.

So £300 each - the price of a weekend away, a must-have hat, and celebrating and finding love.

A bargain, really.

Scot in coma after tram accident in Poland

A SCOTS man is in a coma after he was hit by a tram during a stag party in Poland.

Michael Forrester, 32, was celebrating with pals in the city of Krakow when the accident happened last weekend.

Yesterday his fiancee, who is pregnant with his second child, was at his bedside in a specialist brain trauma unit.

Michael lives in Haddington, East Lothian. His parents William and Heather now live in Bakewell, Derbyshire.

They flew to Krakow with his sister Nicola, 33, this week as surgeons prepared for a life-or-death op. Michael's uncle Iain said: "We don't know much at this stage

Motorist who killed stag reveller LIED

A driver who failed to stop after hitting a man walking home after running out of cash on a stag night, has been given an 18-month driving ban.
David Davies, 58, from Merthyr, said he was unaware he hit Mark Flanagan, 31, who was subsequently hit by three other cars on the A465. None of them stopped.

District Judge John Charles at Merthyr Magistrates Court told Davies: "You lied to police and you lied in court."

A coroner described Mr Flanagan's death in June 2004 as a "tale of inhumanity".

Taxi fare

Davies, a shopkeeper, was also given a £2,000 fine after being found guilty of failing to stop and failing to report an accident.

Mark Flanagan died in June 2004 after he was hit by four cars as he walked home from a stag party on 27 June, last year.

The 31-year-old from the Rhymney Valley, had been out with his brother and a group of friends in Swansea and became separated from them and tried to get a taxi back to his home in Fochrhiw.

But he did not have enough to cover the £60 taxi fare and the driver agreed to take him as far as his £33 would allow - the A465 Head of the Valleys Road near Glynneath Bank.


The court heard that witnesses saw Davies - also returning from a night out - hit Mr Flanagan and drove on.

Davies said he heard a loud bang moments after overtaking a car. "I thought something had been thrown at the vehicle," he added.

"But I couldn't see anyone there. Initially, I thought something had been thrown, but then dismissed it.

"There couldn't be anyone out there miles from anywhere in the dark."

He told the court he would have stopped if he had known he had hit someone.

After driving home, Davies said he saw his side mirror was missing and his headlamp was damaged.

He then drove the 10 miles back to the accident scene in a different car and saw the emergency services before he returned home.

The following day, he checked the news and later discovered someone had died.

He said he intended going to police the following morning, but police officers visited him at home that night.

In a statement Sean Williams, the driver of the car directly behind Davies', described how he had chased after Davies..

Passenger David Kelly, said they continuously flashed headlights at Davies' Mitsubishi Shogun Pinin before their car broke down.

Police and forensic statements said fabric from Mr Flanagan's shirt was found on Davies' 4x4.

Pc Daniel Minto told the hearing that initially all four drivers who hit Mr Flanagan faced being charged with death by dangerous driving but after investigation, Davies was the only to face lesser charges.

Reaching guilty verdict on the two charges, the judge said: "You didn't stop and you knew full well that you had hit a person - of that I have no doubt.

"It is impossible to know if that person's life would have been saved if you had done what any decent person would have done.

"You have shown no remorse and a callous disregard for that person's life."

After the hearing, Davies said: "I'm very sorry about what happened."

Lap dancer injures footballer on stag night

A YOUNG footballer is on the treatment table - after being crocked by a stripper's stiletto heel.

Gary Kelly was ruled out of his team's pre-season friendlies after suffering a burst mouth. The Muirkirk Juniors star was caught by a stripper's sharp heel after sitting too close to the stage at a lapdancing club.

The blonde dancer in the Newcastle club For Your Eyes Only caught him as she swung round in a pole dance.

Gary, 20, of Cumnock, in Ayrshire, said: 'I was in Newcastle for a stag weekend with about 18 of my pals.

'We were out on the town on the Saturday night when my mates stopped at this lapdancing club and decided they wanted to go in.

'I wasn't too bothered about that but didn't want to be a party pooper and just went with the flow.

'One of the girls was going through her routine and I was sitting having a beer as she was doing her act.

'Then in one of her more energetic moves she swung her leg round and her high heel hit me on the mouth.'

'It wasn't particularly sore but it did dent my pride. My mouth was bleeding and some of it went on my good shirt so I had to go and get changed.'

What Gary didn't realise was that the his pals were to blame.

Team-mate David Kay, 21 - the brother-in-law of the stag, Robin Miekle's - explained what happened.

He said: 'Most of us were sitting on couches at the front of the stage but Gary was on a chair.

'One of the girls asked for his chair to be moved back because it was too close to the stage' We did that but when Gary went to the loo before the act started we moved his chair back to where it was for a laugh and when he came back he didn't notice.

'Unfortunately that was how he got a kick in the mush from the lap dancer. It was purely accidental.'

Muirkirk coach Pat Lopez said: 'I'm down to 11 players but Gary will hopefully get back soon.

'He and David told me they were away for a paint-balling weekend - some paint balling.'

Gary joins a list of accident-prone footballers and is not the first to suffer an off-field injury because of flying footwear.

In 2003, David Beckham suffered a gash above his left eye after Sir Alex Ferguson kicked a football boot at him during a dressing room row

Multi Million Pound answer to Edinburghs stag problem

A MULTI-MILLION-POUND revamp of the Grassmarket is being touted as a solution to problems with late-night disturbances, rowdy stag and hen nights and traffic congestion.

Plans to breathe new life into the historic thoroughfare by getting rid of parking spaces, resurfacing roads and pavements, renewing street lighting, planting trees and installing benches are being mooted by council leaders.

Stag Weekend coaches Estonias Rugby club

BT WORKER Charlie Adie went to Estonia for a stag weekend and ended up coaching the national rugby team!

And the former pro player, who married yesterday, has been asked to go back after helping the team dramatically improve its performance.

They had lost their last game 90-0 before Charlie, his brother Ed and another member of the stag party helped with some tips and actually played in their next outing, against Finland, which they lost 42-32.

Charlie, who played professional Rugby League with Hull Sharks and York City Knights for six years, said: "They weren't short of players but lacked experience.

"The Finland team didn't seem too bothered that Estonia had played a few ringers, although it might have been different if we had won."

Charlie, a technical officer for BT at Leavesden in Hertfordshire, is marrying former BT worker Nicola Bell.

Nicola said the publicity surrounding Charlie's antics was already helping to generate interest in rugby in Estonia.

Her 32-year-old groom-to-be has been featured in newspapers across Estonia since his stag weekend last month.

"He was thrilled to be able to help out. It isn't a great level of rugby to be honest but support for the game appears to be increasing thanks to Charlie," she said.

RAF Lefenheath lapdancing club open to stags

RAF MILDENHALL, England — Women will be dancing naked starting next week at a club just a garter’s toss from RAF Lakenheath’s main gate.

Pete Usher, owner of the Lakenheath Country Club, was licensed this week to offer “pole dancing, lap dancing and table dancing that will involve total or partial nudity” at the Ushers nightclub on the country club premises.

Surrounded by farm fields, the facility is less than a half mile from the main gate of the base, home of the 48th Fighter Wing, and about one-quarter mile down a tree-shaded lane across the A1065 highway.

Usher said Americans are “part of the plan” for clientele as he switches from country and western music, which was waning in interest, to an adult show in which dancers will perform nude or simply topless.

Initially, he will offer the entertainment only on Friday nights, beginning Aug. 12, from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. If the interest is there, he may offer it on other nights as well.

Capt. Jason McCree, a public affairs spokesman for the base, said Thursday, “Base personnel are free to visit any establishment they wish unless otherwise off-limits.”

Usher bought the club in 1998 after the Air Force, which had used it as a rod and gun club since 1972, gave it up. Clay pigeon shooting still is available on the site, which includes a bar and restaurant.

Usher had been providing similar entertainment for “stag nights,” the British version of a bachelor party, for several months. “It’s not everybody’s cup of tea,” he said. “But for those who want to view it, you want to make sure it’s an art form and not lewd. It’s not in anyone’s interest to run a den of iniquity.”

British law is quite specific regarding such entertainment. For example, garters worn by dancers for placement of gratuities may be “no higher than midthigh.”

Patrons must remain seated except when arriving, departing or going to the toilet. No person other than the dancer is allowed in the performance area “in a state of undress.” Patrons may be no closer than 32 inches from the performers.

Usher believes it will be a success, but added, “I’m a businessman. If it doesn’t pay, it won’t be staying.”

An overview of Brighton

Once infamous for its dirty weekends, with its sleazy private eyes gathering evidence for the divorce courts, the City of Brighton is the resort of choice for many stag nights and hen nights determined to party hard before the happy couple tie the knot. Of course, these days it's a very loose knot but
couples still want to go out in style and Brighton-based Redseven Leisure is on hand to ensure that the pre-nuptials offer a lot more than a few pints down the pub on karaoke night.

A typical weekend for rutting stags is Redseven Leisure's 'Kiss Me Slow'weekend. The two long nights start off with a bang at one of the City's most prestigious lapdancing clubs. To some that may be a contradiction in terms,
but semantics won't be on the minds of the eager young men as they hustle to their reserved table and enjoy the delightful shapes of near-naked Brighton belles. And if the boys dip into their bulging wallets, the girls will give
the groom his very own personal lap dance.

Assuming the stags can drag the groom away, their night continues at one of Brighton's larger clubs known for its Ibiza-style disco, reminiscent of all night raves where young men and women wake with the rising sun and the sea
lapping their toes. For the record, Brighton beach has pebbles and the sea does not lap! But the city has much else to offer sore heads looking for a little gentle relaxation before sampling the delights of a second night in
Brighton's premier gentlemen's club. To some, this may conjure an image of old duffers talking about the lost empire while smoking cigars in over-stuffed chairs but the 25 beautiful young women dancing topless in
their g-strings promise a lot more than the Lambeth Walk. The evening's fun and frolics are rounded off dancing the night away in a mega club with three separate rooms featuring disco classics, R'n'B, old skool, garage,
pyrotechnics and no doubt much more.

Of course the question you'll be asking is what about the hens? Unfortunately, even in drag, this reporter couldn't get an invite! So, if you want to find out what kind of fun the girls can have (don't tell the groom!) we suggest that you check out Redseven Leisure's web site where you'll find information on corporate events, international travel and much
else besides although after two nights courtesy of Redseven Leisure you may be more interested in a pair of comfy slippers and a cup of cocoa!

Plymouth no go as stag reveller injured

Victims of weekend drunken violence in a city centre are to be treated in a permanent "field hospital" to relieve congestion in a hospital casualty unit, and to try to improve detection rates.


Police in Plymouth are opening the field hospital in a building in the Union Street clubland area of the city from the end of this month.

The announcement coincided with a warning by a judge in Bournemouth that binge-drink offenders would face substantial jail sentences, as there was "far too much of this sort of behaviour".

Victims of violence in Plymouth are taken to Derriford Hospital at present. But they often clog up the casualty unit and police cannot investigate attacks quickly.

The field hospital will be staffed by police and medical personnel from 11pm to 4am on Friday and Saturday nights. This will enable victims to be given immediate medical treatment and also be interviewed while evidence and memories were still fresh.

The unit will operate for the "foreseeable future" until at least the New Year.

The Plymouth police commander, Morris Watts, said: "It's early days, but the theory is that it will help improve detection rates and give a better service to victims of crime.

"From a health perspective, it will stop ambulances from being tied up and reduce through-put at the casualty unit, which has to be good."

Judge Roger Jarvis jailed two men at Bournemouth Crown Court for separate drunken and unprovoked attacks, expressing his concern that he had two binge drinking cases on his list in the same day.

Jailing Gary Samson, 22, for eight months, the judge said: "Substantial sentences are justified for binge drinking offences. This activity causes real anxiety and distress to ordinary members of the public."

The court heard that Samson, a father of two, attacked a stag night reveller. His victim sustained an eye injury and sought refuge in a fast food restaurant.

Samson, of Bournemouth, who admitted assault, was also ordered to pay £250 in compensation.

The court heard the second offender, Harold Robinson, 22, a father of one, drank 15 pints of lager and several spirit shots before punching a man who had helped him to his feet when he stumbled.

Jailing him for a year, Judge Jarvis said: "This sort of behaviour must be dealt with in a way that discourages others."

Robinson, of Poole, Dorset, who admitted assault, was also ordered to pay his victim £250 compensation.

New UK company on the scene.

NEW STAG AND HEN NIGHT WEBSITE, STAGSANDHENS.COM, OFFERS UNIQUE ALL ROUND INFORMATION SERVICE

A new website, StagsandHens.com, has launched to make it quicker and easier to organise a stag or hen party.

The website offers independent advice on topics including activities, nightlife, destinations and speech writing. A unique part of the website is a directory of hundreds of companies offering stag and hen products and services. Everything from archery to Zorbing (rolling down a hill in a giant plastic ball) is listed. Not forgetting accommodation, transport and going abroad. The listings can be filtered by geographical region, making it easy to find local companies.

For those short on time, the site lists numerous stag and hen party organisers offering ready-made packages. For those who have more time and want to make their own arrangements, the site includes hundreds of local companies offering niche services like go-karting, clay pigeon shooting and pole dancing lessons.

A free personal photo album has recently been added to the site, allowing people to share their stag and hen party photos online. Photos can be password protected to ensure that any compromising ones aren't seen by the ‘wrong’ people. Other useful features and functionality are in the pipeline, including a personal party planner.

Andrew Rogoff, director of StagsandHens.com, said:

“Being asked to be the best man or woman is an honour but having to organise the stag or hen party can be really hard work. Expectations are rising and people can no longer get away with a night down the pub followed by a strip club later. Our aim is to make it all much easier by offering a menu of exciting ideas along with links directly to the companies that provide the services”.

He added: “The main difference between us and related websites is that we’re independent. We list both the package operators as well as the local companies offering niche services.“

People are increasingly turning to the Web for shopping and information and the site is already benefiting from this trend with increasing traffic. One of the most popular sections is the list of stripograms. Results from a recent StagsandHens.com survey show that 62% of visitors to the site would like a stripper at their party.

Andrew Rogoff is available for comment. For further information, please email contact@stagsandhens.com.

ABOUT STAGSANDHENS.COM

StagsandHens.com Ltd offers a one-stop-shop for anyone organising a stag or hen party. Outline of features and content:

IDEAS AND INSPIRATION: loads of great ideas from paintballing to pole dancing, spa breaks to surfing.

PRACTICAL ADVICE: get help with the Best Man’s speech or top advice on party planning.

DIRECTORY: listings of hundreds of stag and hen-related products and services in your area.

PHOTO ALBUM: share stag and hen party photos with a free online photo album. Leave comments for others and join the community.

Andrew Rogoff is available for comment. For further information, please email contact@stagsandhens.com.

Good news, stag stroke victim on the mend

A Coventry man has slowly regained consciousness from a coma after suffering a stroke at a stag do abroad.

Father-of-five Sammy Thompson, of Cheveral Avenue, Radford, was staying in the resort of Palma Nova, Majorca.

Mr Thompson, aged 43, had been in a coma for over a week and had undergone two operations to relieve swelling on the brain and to remove a blood clot.

Spanish surgeons also had to remove part of Mr Thompson's skull.

He has only just been moved out of intensive care since he slowly regained consciousness and is now recovering on a neurological ward in the island's Son Dureta hospital.

His family has been travelling back and forth to the island to check on his progress and is hoping for good news from doctors in the following days.

Sammy's sister, Veronica Quinn, said: "After being confined to a hospital bed for two weeks, he's incredibly weak.

"His mobility's not good, but they have managed to get him into a chair. Although he's drinking fluids quite well, he hasn't been eating - he's just skin and bone."

Mr Thompson did not have holiday insurance and his family has been trying to raise funds to help bring him back to the UK.

A recent fundraising night at Our Lady of the Assumption Social Club, in Tile Hill Lane, raised £4,000.

A raffle of footballing memorabilia and photographs is now under way.

Tickets can be bought from hairdresser Kev's Chop Shop in Spon End.

Cash donations can be left at the Beechtree Chip Shop in Beech Tree Avenue, Tile Hill.

Groom hurt in Zipper accident

A lifeboat crew had to mount an emergency operation after a groom suffered an unfortunate zipper accident on a remote Irish island.

The rescue took place on Arranmore Island, which is around five miles off the coast of Donegal.

The groom, from County Donegal, had been celebrating his stag party with a large group of friends when disaster struck sometime in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) station on Arranmore was contacted about the unfolding crisis at 8.20am.

Local RNLI spokeswoman Nora Flanagan said the groom was in agony.

Arranmore Island has a population of about 600 people and is a popular tourist destination due to its spectacular cliffs, sandy beaches and traditional pubs.

The man who trapped his manhood in his trouser zip on his stag night was ferried to hospital from the remote Irish island of Irranmore, County Donegal.

Newcastle Clampdown

Two men were banned from jetting to Belfast because they were too drunk to fly, police revealed today.

They were stopped as they planned to take a flight from Newcastle.

Details of the ban emerged as Northumbria Police chief constable Mike Craik pledged to crackdown on drink-related trouble in a campaign titled The Party`s Over.

The pair were hoping to catch a flight to Belfast but were not allowed onto the plane.

Meanwhile, officers have been touring hotels and guest houses warning stag parties visiting the region that their behaviour must not get out of hand.

Brit played Rugby for Estonia on stag party!

A York man's stag weekend took a surprising twist - when he was asked to play rugby for the Estonia national team.

Despite nursing a painful hangover, Charlie Adie was named man of the match in the rugby union international against Finland.

The 32-year-old is a former York Wasps rugby league player - but had not played for three years, reports the Yorkshire Evening Press.

Charlie, an IT manager, who marries fiancée Nicola next month, was in the Estonian capital, Tallin, with 16 friends for a boozy weekend.

While downing beers in a local bar, he was approached by one of the Estonia team, who made the extraordinary offer because they were short.

"I thought it was a wind up at first," said Charlie. "I told the guy that I used to play for York, so he asked if I was available to play the following day for Estonia against Finland.

"I was quite taken aback, but I was keen to play."

Charlie, who bought rugby boots from a local sports shop on the morning of the match, also secured a game for his brother and best man, Ed.

Estonia were narrowly beaten 32-42 by Finland in the Baltic Rugby Cup international, a round robin tournament also including Latvia and Lithuania.

The Adie brothers were honoured as two of the best players on the day, with Ed scoring a try, and man of the match, Charlie, kicking four penalty goals.

Get your 'do' sponsored.

Online Sportsbook and Casino GoSportsBet.com continues to revolutionize stag parties with its concept that promises to make bachelor parties go off with a bang: "Sponsor a Stag." The sportsbook sponsors bachelor parties anywhere in the world by supplying clothing, games and a "recovery kit" for the next morning, should festivities get a little too rowdy. The largest party, to date, is being held on the July 15th weekend in New York when a group of over 100 revelers will be painting the town red.

Easily the most outrageous part of anyone's wedding plans, stag parties are traditionally the groom's last night of freedom - a final chance to go crazy before settling down. However, planning a stag night is a big responsibility, and can be costly. By supplying stag weekend essentials, GoSportsBet gives the party organizer a helping hand by easing the cost and responsibility. GoSportsBet supplies all the ammunition to hold a full-on party extravaganza, provides a "recovery kit" for the morning after, and will even pay off any fines resulting from excessive enjoyment of the party.

This weekend's party is being held in western New York State where the groom and his friends will be hitting the local strip joints, golf courses, and casinos. With the help of GoSportsBet.com, party organizer Jeff Kelly aims to throw one of the greatest bachelor parties ever.

"People are going nuts at the idea of us having one of the first-ever sponsored Stag Parties, and easily the biggest," said Jeff. "We really appreciate GoSportsBet’s sponsorship and generosity."

GoSportsBet encourages anyone interested to check out all the ridiculous pictures and stories online at http://www.GoSportsBet.com/stag, and to submit pictures and stories from their own stag parties as well. The best picture each month will be awarded $500.

For more information, please visit http://www.GoSportsBet.com/stag, or contact Laura Hunter, Marketing Director tel. (415) 738-7421; fax. (415) 738-7726.

GoSportsBet is a sports entertainment company committed to providing a secure, enjoyable and comprehensive gaming environment. GoSportsBet, a registered company based in Hong Kong, provides online sport wagering and casino games.

GoSportsBet is fully licensed and regulated in Antigua and its financial transactions are processed by the world's largest publicly traded online gaming company. GoSportsBet.com is where winners play, in a safe and secure environment.

Mumbai new fro Hens...

The lyrics 'Girls just wanna have fun' have never been more true. Hen parties, the equivalent of stag bashes, are taking Mumbai by storm

Skimpily clad PYTs dancing away in itsy-bitsy outfits. Male strippers stopping a little short of the full monty. Unlimited booze, boys and fun -- it's as wild as it gets. While women's pre-marital hen parties have been around for quite a while, they have grown wilder over the years. The craze is fast catching up with the middle and upper-middle classes. In fact, the hen parties match, if not exceed, the traditional men's stag parties in the wildness quotient.

"Hen parties are not limited to the elite class. An increasing number of girls belonging to the middle class have approached me to organise hen parties. In fact, these girls have had some of the wildest hen parties arranged," reveals event organiser Rohit Chawla, who claims to have organised several such parties in the past few months. Being requested to arrange for male strippers or pole dancers doesn't surprise Rohit anymore, as he remarks, "In fact, hen parties are getting wilder than stag parties."

A similar thought is echoed by Salil, a male stripper. Recalling an incident, where he almost got clawed, he says, "It's simply crazy out there. Be it the ambience or the music, parties are getting wilder and they're taking fun to a different world altogether. The girls take me as a professional and things rarely get out of hand, but when they do, then it becomes really ugly."

Says actor Riya Sen, who had recently organised one such hen party for her best friend, "I think it's great fun and I don't see any harm in going really wild. That's part of the whole idea -- letting yourself go."

Model Pia Trivedi says, "The concept of hen parties is really catching up in the city. People have become as comfortable with them as they are with sangeet ceremonies."

Actor Kim Sharma, who recalls attending one such hen party, however, comments, "Letting your hair down is great, but freaking out doesn't mean there's a sleaze show on. Not that I have anything against them, but I think it's important that people don't go overboard with it."

"It's the thrill of doing all the things that we would generally refrain from doing that makes these parties a memorable experience. And what's wrong in letting your hair down just once in a while?" questions Sheetal Kamat, a 23-year-old brideto-be, who is looking forward to the hen party that's being organised by her friends. "Obviously, it's going to be kept a secret from my husband, at least for some time," she winks.

Stag prank video and pictures

Tied to a lampost? Done
Shaved eyebrows? Done

They've all been done and done some more. Need a new prank for your stag night? Try this.

A group of guys had been to Riga on a stag weekend. They'd been down into a old nuclear bunker set deep in the ground shooting Kalashnikov assault rifles, RPG's and pistols.

On the way from the activity to their hotel the best man arranged for them to be hijacked by a group of masked terrorists!

Firing their blanks into the air, threatening the group with guns and baseball bats. Taking their money, cameras, watches...

See the whole video epispode here

Rugby man hangs himself after stag party blues

A happily married rugby player hanged himself days after a stag weekend and a visit to a strip club.

An inquest into the death of Workington Zebras player John George Thompson, 30, heard yesterday how the weekend away had caused tension between him and his wife Amanda.

Mr Thompson, a butcher, was found hanging by his belt from a meat rail chiller on April 5 at Bookers cash and carry where he worked. Friends gave evidence suggesting the Easter stag weekend in Sheffield for his best friend had caused problems between him and his wife of six months.

His manager Stephen Farrell discovered the body and said in a statement: “He said on a couple of occasions that he was in the doghouse. I think the problems with his wife were related to the weekend away.”

The prop forward, who had played rugby union for Cumbria, Aspatria and Egremont, became quiet at work and started smoking for the first time in the days before his death.

Workmate Stephen Donald said in a statement: “His wife had been giving him a hard time over going to strip clubs.”

In a conversation with Mr Thompson on the day of his death, Mr Donald said he seemed as though all his problems had lifted.

He was talking enthusiastically about his stepson’s interest in wrestling.

Mr Thompson’s father Thomas told the inquest that his son had played rugby for Zebras on the Saturday before he hanged himself.

He said: “He was never depressed and was a quiet lad, he was a gentle giant who liked to go out for a drink and a laugh with his mates.”

Mr Thompson also noticed a change in his son after the stag weekend.

John Thompson left a note for his wife. She did not give evidence at the inquest but told the News & Star afterwards that they had no marital problems and were very happy since their wedding in October last year.

Mrs Thompson, of Curwen Street, said: “The weekend he went away he went to a strip club – they all did – and when I found out I was not very happy. He went very quiet after that. We had never had an argument before.”

She had racked her brains to think why he would hang himself. He was under pressure because of new responsibilities at work, she said.

“He was the manager of the butchery and a member of his staff was off sick so he had to do more work himself,” she said. “I had been on at him to take it easier and he said he was ready for a break, I just thought he was tired.”

“He was really kind-hearted and he loved me and my son.”

West Cumbria coroner John Taylor recorded a verdict of suicide.

He said: “Although Amanda Thompson has not given evidence, the statements from his friends suggest the stag weekend caused problems between them.”

Riga, the new stag capital?

Low-cost airlines in Europe are fuelling a tourist boom, but as Latvia is now finding, there is a price to pay for a slice of this lucrative cake.

For decades during the Cold War, Latvia was prepared for an invasion from the West.

Nuclear bunkers set deep in the ground, litter the capital, Riga.

The Director of Riga's tourism office, Sandra Inkena, is worried about some of the projections for growth.

"At the moment we have about one and a half million tourists a year visiting Riga, but the vice mayor says he wants that to increase to 10 million visitors a year," she said.

"I don't think we could cope with that. I personally wouldn't like to see Riga so overcrowded."

In one of the old Cold War nuclear bunkers are some of the new wave of visitors.

The bunker is now a shooting range, popular with British stag parties who want to fire off a pistol or a Kalashnikov assault rifle, as part of a fun-packed trip to Riga.

The stag groups are typical of those taking advantage of cheap flights. One British man in his 20s said:

"We're here for the cheap beer and the girls. We're here for fun."

Amidst the rattle of gunfire and the whoops from people having a good time, the organiser of the stag weekends, Linas from Active Holidays, said his company alone now has around 10 groups coming to Riga every weekend, about 100 people in total.

A year ago, there were very few.

"It's been influenced by cheap flights which have just started to fly here," Linas said.

"Riga was undiscovered for a long time, but we have a lot to offer including cheap beer and nice women. There are lots of things to do here."

It is impossible to know exactly how many stag groups there are visiting Latvia, nor what percentage of the tourist numbers they make up, but they certainly make their boisterous presence felt on the streets and in the clubs.

On a Friday night in Riga, the impact the stag groups are having on Riga is starting to become evident.

Music blares from bar after bar in the old town, and intermingled with the sound is the noise of groups of British men in their 20s having a good time.

They tend to drink a lot and get drunk quickly, very different behaviour to the measured approach of Latvians.

Jerry O'Brien owns an Irish bar in Riga. He thinks the stag parties pose risks although there has been no real problem yet. But their numbers will only rise.

He fears violence. "We're going to have to review our security. You know what they're like when they've been drinking. They're on a mission to get drunk," he said.

"Latvians don't go to pubs to get drunk. It's a society problem in Britain and Ireland. It's not a Riga problem. It's our problem, and it's coming to Riga."

The stag parties certainly aren't coming to Riga for culture, and they give little impression of caring about which country they're visiting. It could be anywhere as long as the alcohol is cheaper than in Britain.

Ojars Kalnins, Director of the Latvian Institute, a state-funded body which promotes the country, said he does not want Riga to be associated with sex tourism.

Mr Kalnins said he hopes people will visit Latvia for other reasons:

"We've been getting a lot of horror stories and there is a little bit of concern," he said.

"There is the more positive feeling about the general increase in tourism. I want people to come here for the culture, the music and the history."

Mr Kalnins admitted though, that right now Latvia is only interested in getting as many people as possible to visit and to spend their money.

Economic growth depends on pulling the tourists in. Mr Kalnins said the country will worry about the consequences later:

"We've only had this increase in tourism for the past year, so it's all new to us.

"Perhaps later we will work out what type of tourists are coming and whether we can influence that in any way."

The danger of worrying later though is that it will be too late, the damage will be done. If other tourists start thinking Riga is a rowdy place, they won't visit.

Tourism is too important economically to treat as a short-term income. Every city wants a share of the growth.

In Europe alone, over the next 20 years, the number of tourists is expected to double. For governments, the issue will be how best to manage that growth.

As cities like Riga are discovering, it is not easy, but unless they start to plan properly they could be overwhelmed.

Stringfellows bouncer cleared of stag murder

A Stringfellows bouncer accused of killing a stag night reveller with a single punch as he threw him out of the club for touching a lapdancer was cleared of murder today.

But Marcus Marriott, an amateur heavyweight boxer once ranked fourth in the UK, faces a retrial on an alternative count of manslaughter.

The court has heard how martial arts expert Marriott, 33, killed 21-stone George MacDonald with a single blow as he threw him out of the famous London club for touching a lapdancer called Anna.

Marriott's punch shattered Mr MacDonald's jaw and sent him tumbling to the pavement in the West End's Long Acre, fracturing his skull as he landed, the court heard. He died minutes later.

But a passing police van saw the attack in the early hours of October 8 last year - and it was also captured on CCTV, said Dorian Lovell-Pank QC, prosecuting.

Marriott, of St John's Road, Chingford, Essex, denied murder and an alternative count of manslaughter.

Giving evidence he told how he had been asked to see Mr MacDonald out of the club after he was seen touching Anna the lapdancer.

"I asked him to leave and he didn't want to leave", he said. "I asked him if he was going to go and he's saying 'why do I have to go'. I said 'look, you can go forcefully or of your own volition.' He was still protesting a little bit and swearing."

He was escorted to the fire exit and continued protesting outside, said Marriott.

"I wanted to know why he was being like that. I never had anything against the man. He put his hand up and I said 'why do you want to start with me?' I knew he was getting aggressive - it was how he moved and the look on his face.

"He put his hand up. He was being difficult and aggressive."

Marriott said that he turned to go back into the club and became aware of 21-stone Mr MacDonald coming behind him.

He told the jury: "He was coming quite fast. I thought he was going to hit me, to get me from behind. I saw him from the corner of my eye.

"I instinctively threw a punch - I just reacted. I threw the punch instinctively, I didn't think how hard or feel how hard it was. It was to protect myself."

He was cleared of murder after over nine hours of deliberation. But the jury could not reach a verdict on the alternative manslaughter charge and was discharged.

Mr Lovell-Pank said he anticipated the prosecution would seek a retrial on the manslaughter charge although no date was fixed

Three charged in US over underage stag party drowning

Three people charged with alcohol violations that prosecutors say were linked to the death of Derik Bolton have all filed written pleas of not guilty.

Monica Brandon, Suzanne Blowers and Richard Blowers filed pleas in Mills County District Court.

They are charged with supplying alcohol to Bolton.

He's the 19-year-old man who was drinking at a stag party and fell into a lake near Glenwood. The official cause of death is listed as drowning and tests show that Bolton's blood alcohol level was at least .19.


Monica Brandon is accused of buying the beer for the party.

Suzanne Blowers is accused of hosting the party at her home

Richard Blowers is accused of supplying the money buy the alcohol.

An August trial date has been set.

Stringfellow's bouncer 'kills punter' who touched lapdancer

A Stringfellow's bouncer murdered a drunken stag night reveller as he kicked him out of the club for touching a lapdancer, a court heard today.

Heavyweight boxer and martial arts expert Marcus Marriott killed 21-stone George MacDonald with a single punch as he threw him out of the famous London club for touching a stripper called Anna, the Old Bailey was told.

33-year old Marriott's blow shattered Mr MacDonald's jaw and sent him tumbling to the pavement in the West End's Long Acre, fracturing his skull as he landed, the court heard. He died minutes later.

But a passing police van saw the attack in the early hours of October 8 last year - and it was also captured on CCTV, said Dorian Lovell-Pank QC, prosecuting.

Marriott, of St John's Road, Chingford, denies murder and an alternative count of manslaughter.

The jury heard how 34-year old Mr MacDonald had been out on a friend's stag night. The group had visited a restaurant in Piccadilly before splitting up with some going to a Mayfair casino and four, including Mr MacDonald, visiting Stringfellow's.

"You have probably heard of the nightclub", said Mr Lovell-Pank. "It's a striptease and lapdancing club and it employs a number of girls and also a number of doormen or bouncers. One of the doormen was this defendant.

"Using the name Marcus Lee he has been an amateur boxer for a number of years and has taken part in competitive fights at cruiserweight and heavyweight level. He has also trained in martial arts and has worked as a doorman since 1995 and had been working at Stringfellow's since December 2002."

He explained that when Mr MacDonald had arrived he had had several drinks and broke the house rules by touching one of the girls.

Mr Lovell-Pank said: "At Stringfellow's the dancers do striptease, they do poledancing and they do lapdancing. You can have your own private show if you want to but there is an important house rule which is applied strictly - that is you are not allowed to touch the girls in any way.

"If you do you are likely to be ejected from the club."

During the evening a Polish lapdancer with the stagename Anna was giving Mr MacDonald a lapdance and he was seen touching her, the court heard.

"In the dance he pulled her towards him", said the prosecutor. "This was seen by one of the bouncers and he was asked to leave the club."

Mr MacDonald was being escorted from the club via the fire exit by two bouncers who were then joined by Marriott, the court heard.

Mr Lovell-Pank said: "Mr MacDonald was a bit drunk but he was able to walk up the stairs to the fire exit. He was making comments such as 'you think you are a big boy', speaking to this defendant. He kept turning round and swearing at this defendant."

The fire exit was opened and Mr MacDonald walked into the street, only to be followed by Marriott, the court heard.

Mr Lovell-Pank said: "In the next 30 seconds of this story this defendant had punched Mr MacDonald so hard in the face on the right hand side that it shattered the upper jawbone and sent his 21-stone body crashing to the pavement where he fractured his skull."

He died moments after hitting the street, the jury heard.

Mr Lovell-Pank said that the incident had been seen by a passing policeman and had also been caught on CCTV.

The case continues.

USA to have stag party TV Show

STAG: Last Night of Freedom, hosted by Tommy Habeeb, star of "Cheaters" and "Eye for an Eye," features bachelors and bachelorettes on their last night out as a single person. Our camera crew follows all the madcap happenings of the evening - from the wacky misadventures to the spontaneous mishaps - whether it's the bachelor or bachelorette or their crazy friends who cause all the commotion.

The next day we show a tape of the party to his or her mate. If all is forgiven for the harmless fun he or she had, then STAG will give the couple a fabulous honeymoon! If, however, the mate is just a bit jealous of the fun-on-tape, then he or she may opt to have a party of their own hosted by STAG.

The UNCENSORED versions of STAG are currently airing on Events iN DEMAND pay-per-view. Visit stagonline.com for more details.

Stag Parties a target for Barcelona muggers

In a huge effort to combat petty crime in Barcelona, Catalonia's national police force, the Mossos d'Esquadra, has put an extra 800 officers on the beat in the city's worst mugging black spots to coincide with the first influx of summertime tourists.

"We get about 80 robbery victims in here each day," said a careworn officer. "East Europeans and North Africans seem to be the most frequently reported suspects."

"We are in trouble with the police for fighting back when we were robbed," said a young man from Leeds, waiting to file a report.

He said he was with a stag party when he and six friends were mugged in a side street of Las Ramblas esplanade. The thieves made off with about 700 euros.

When police asked if he or his fellow travellers wished to press charges, the man said it simply wasn't worth the trouble. All they wanted to do was to get back to the hotel and then go home.

Stag do hits new heights for Colin

A weekend in a seaside resort which results in the would-be groom being chained to a lamppost is a typical way to celebrate a stag weekend - but one group of Solihull friends decided to climb a mountain.

The 20 pals, who are all members of Solihull Arden Rackets Club, headed to the Lake District on June 4 to celebrate Colin McCauley's marriage to Val Blee.

However the group who, apart from two people, were in their 50s and 60s, didn't just sit back and relax, they scaled Langdale Pike.

And six hours later they emerged weary but uninjured after scaling the 2,500-foot peak.

"None of us had ever done that sort of thing before so we had to have a couple of rests on the way up," said 54-year-old John Davies, who will be Colin's best man for the second time at the ceremony at Warwick Register Office. "There were a couple of moments when our hearts were in our mouths but we soon had our feet up in a pub at the bottom."

Father-of-three Colin said it had been fantastic experience.

"I just wanted to do something I had never done before. I go to the gym about three or four times a week but that was the hardest thing I have ever done but it was still fantastic," said the 54-year-old sales account manager.

Big brother star Anthony didn't enjoy one particular stag prank

Anthony was left traumatised by a petrifying prank on a recent stag night, he has revealed.

The straight dancer was shocked to learn that after passing out, one of his friends had decided to make use of his gaping mouth.

In a loft chat with Max and Saskia tonight, Anthony was wondering what stag night tricks he had seen pulled before remembering that he was actually the subject of a distressing dido.

"[When I was] lying asleep, I had a cock in my mouth," he declared. "I didn't wake up to it, but they all told us. I was wedged against a wall [because] there were about 15 of us in one room - it was like a refugee camp."

Although he wasn't conscious for any part of the oral ordeal, Anthony's pals were more than happy to fill him in the next morning.

"I couldn't believe it," he added.

Michael Owen splashes out on a lavish Las Vegas do

England star Michael Owen was at the gambling tables within minutes of landing in Las Vegas for his stag party.

The betting fan flew to America with dad Terry, 53, brother Andy, 35, and five pals for his £30,000 stag do.

Owen looked thoughtful as he played roulette at the Caesar Palace hotel.

The £75,000-a-week Real Madrid striker was hoping to make a killing during a three-night stay.

But unlike the typical footballer out with his pals, alcohol seemed off- limits.

One hotel resident said of the party: "They just seem to want to gamble, gamble, gamble." Earlier they had turned up in a stretch limo wearing the same T-shirt bearing the words: "If found worse for wear please return to Caesar's Palace."

To escape the tension of the tables, the group later splashed around in the hotel pool.

In 2003, horse racing lover Owen, 25, admitted staking up to £2.2million in bets but claimed he had lost no more than £40,000.

He is marrying childhood sweetheart Louise Bonsall, 24. They have a daughter Chloe.

46 year old man charged on stag murder

A 46-year-old man was charged with murder last night after a father-of-three died from head injuries after an alleged attack three weeks ago in a busy Tyneside pub.

Detectives launched a murder inquiry after businessman Steven Doyle died in hospital at the weekend.

Hassan El-Khuweldi, of Waterloo Street, Newcastle, was charged with murder yesterday evening.

He will appear before magistrates in the city today.

Mr Doyle was found injured in a bar on Newcastle Quayside on a busy Saturday night last month.

The 37-year-old, of Blyth, Northumberland, was allegedly attacked in the Quilted Camel pub while on a stag night in Newcastle at about 10pm on May 14.

He died on Saturday in Newcastle General Hospital surrounded by his family, who had been maintaining a constant vigil at his bedside.

New Scottish Stag firm on the loose

Scotland’s premier paintball operator launches a new website offering the best in stag, hen and events entertainment. The website has been launched to cope with the massive growth in interest in activity-based stag and hen weekends that Bedlam has received over the last few years. Gone are the days of rowdy stags and hens in fancy dress clogging up city high streets and in are paintballing, abseiling, yachting and karting.

Interested parties can now log on to the website to receive an instant online quote in minutes. It couldn’t be easier to get the information that you need to organise your ideal weekend!

Bedlam Weekends is the latest development in Bedlams 14 year’s experience of event management including Stag & Hen Weekends. Bedlam are recognised as Scotland’s premier Paintball Operator with a network of paintball sites throughout Scotland.

Many themed packages are available to those booking through the website, saving visitor valuable time while offering them the best value for money around. Those who wish to create their own special weekends are also able to choose from a number of different options to create a weekend they will never forget.

A wide variety of outdoor activities are on offer and can be included in weekend. These activities include: 4x4 Off Road, Abseiling & Climbing, Air Rifle, Archery, Canoeing, Clay Pigeon Shooting, Coasteering, Falconry, Golf, Gorge Scrambling, Honda Pilots, Indoor Games, Indoor Karting, Mud Buggies, Outdoor Karting, Paintball, Pamper Sessions, Pole Dancing Lessons, Pony Trekking, Quad Biking, Raft Building, Rally Karting, Treasure Hunting, Hovercrafting, White Water Rafting and Surfing.

Those who have any energy left after an action packed day out can choose from any of the following for their evening’s entertainment: Comedy Club Entry, Greyhound Racing, Horse Racing, Party Meals, Murder Mystery Meals, Party Buses, River Boat Parties, Lap Dance Bars and VIP Nightclub

Bedlam currently operates in the following town and cities: Aberdeen, Blackpool, Bournemouth, Bristol, Brighton, Chester, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Hereford, Leeds, Llangollen, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Newquay, North Wales, Norwich, Nottingham, Reading, Shropshire and Southampton.

Groom uses socks as eyebrows

A groom had to stick bits of sock over his eyes after friends shaved his eyebrows off during his stag night.

Steve Simpson, 27, from Sheffield, unpicked threads from an old black sock and glued them to his face after the prank.

His bride Alison Ward had no idea what happened until she saw him at the church and his eyebrows moved when he spoke, says The Sun.

"I could have killed him - he looked like Groucho Marx. But I see the funny side now," she said.

Steve said he didn't believe he'd get away with using the sock.

His eyebrows grew back during their honeymoon.

Britney had a sneaky hen night

Britney Spears and her fiance Kevin Federline are both on hen and stag parties this weekend (4th of June 2005).

Britney was said to be furious after she learned that details had leaked out to the press of their planned nuptials at the plush Bacara resort in Santa Barbara on November 20.

Kevin was enjoying a more downmarket stag night with his friends and family at his favourite restaurant Houston's, in Santa Monica. Britneys hen night frollocks are unknown at this time.

Telegraph's opinion on stag parties

I read a very interesting article in the Telegraph by Sam Leith and his opinion on the new trend of stag parties in modern times. The article reflects on the latest headlines about Rio Ferdinand.

"Stag nights are very peculiar things: a particularly apocalyptic form of Obligatory Fun. Does anyone look forward to them? I doubt it. And - particularly if your group of friends don't have a "lad" gene among them - you feel a piercing and anxious sense of obligation. The rituals have to be observed. Dirty playing-cards. Whipping cream. Strippers, supposedly.

"It's a stag night. What do people do on stag nights?" you wonder. Oh. Right. OK. Shouting? Check. Dirty jokes. Check. Do we have to chain him to something? Says here we do. OK."

Read the full article here

Stag Party injury tourist safe "Back from the dead"

A distraught Middleton mother rushed to Tenerife to be with her only son after he was left for dead in a horrific hit-and-run smash.

Desperate to be beside him for possibly the last time, Lillian McLaughlin, aged 49, jumped on the first flight she could and dashed to the Canary Isalndsl – only to be told she couldn't see her son.

So Lillian waited, hysterical with grief and imagining the worst, in a foreign hospital unable to find out what was going on.

The family’s nightmare began when Carl Rigby, aged 29, of Wood Street, went abroad for a friend’s stag weekend.

On 9 May, he was crossing a road in Playa De Las Americas when he was hit head-on by a group of tourists driving a car.

Carl eventually arrived back in Middleton on 25 May, more than two weeks after the smash, and now faces a minimum of six weeks away from his job as a warehouseman on the Stakehill industrial estate while he recovers.

After hearing about Carl’s plight, I hope people realise the importance of having adequate insurance when they go away.

Rio quizzed over hotel stag party

Police have said England defender Rio Ferdinand was among a group of footballers quizzed after alleged stag party high jinks at a hotel.

Also questioned were fellow footie pals Michael Duberry and Jody Morris, whose stag night was held at the hotel.

A witness said: “They were guzzling champagn, beer and wine and acting like morans."

Officers have launched an investigation into an allegation that a fellow guest was sprayed in the face with a fire extinguisher during the early morning disturbance in Watford.

No one was arrested and it is unclear which, if any, of the footballers were involved in the alleged assault.

A Hertfordshire Police spokeswoman said: "We were called to the Grove Hotel in Watford at 2.52am yesterday to a report of a disturbance between a small number of residents.

"Two police officers attended and spoke to the people involved. A complaint of common assault has been alleged and reported as a result and police are currently investigating that.

"The allegation is the victim was sprayed in the face with a fire extinguisher.... I can confirm that no arrests were made."

Stags "No go" in Tyneside - The party's over campaign

Northumbria's new Chief Constable Mike Craik yesterday announced his solution to curbing the drunken chaos which is a feature of many North-East town and city centres.
His force's 'The Party's Over' campaign will target badly-behaved revellers with a range of measures aimed at restoring some order to the streets on Friday and Saturday nights in particular.
More officers at potential trouble spots, naming and shaming offenders and an old fashioned 'quiet word' with groups as they arrive on Tyneside for hen and stag parties are among the plans.

Stag-night stunt sees brothers baring all on A64

Traffic warnings were yesterday broadcast to motorists to be on their guard for two naked men walking down the side of a dual carriageway in Yorkshire.
Instead of looking out for the normal traffic tailbacks on the A64, drivers were told to be on alert for the two hitchhikers displaying a little too much of their modesty.
Darren Williams and his brother, John, were eventually spared their blushes when a patrol car from North Yorkshire Police pulled over and shielded them from passing vehicles.
Darren had been on his stag night with his 21-year-old brother, who will be his best man at the wedding in five weeks, when they were wrestled to the ground by a group of friends and stripped naked in a lay-by near Tadcaster at 9.30am yesterday.
The friends then drove off, leaving the two brothers stranded at the roadside wearing only their socks and shoes.
After walking more than a mile down the side of the dual carriageway, officers in the police patrol car spotted the brothers baring all.
A passing motorist then stopped and gave them a lift home to Bolton-upon-Dearne, South Yorkshire.
Darren, 23, a team leader for an internet company, said: "Rumours started flying around on Saturday that something like this was going to happen, but when we got back to the hotel I thought I had got away with it.
"I had taken precautions like putting money in my sock and I had a taxi firm number in my mobile telephone, but unfortunately they took that off me as well.
"As we were walking along, people were driving past sounding their car horns and waving at us. I have managed to see the funny side of it."
He had travelled to York with a group of 17 friends from the Dearne Valley Bulldogs rugby league side for the stag party around the city's pubs on Saturday.
After being stripped naked, the brothers had begun walking along the side of the A64 in the hope of finding a telephone before police officers arrived.
Darren, who will be flying out to Cyprus to marry Lisa Griffiths, 20, from Barnsley, next month, said: "The police were brilliant, they were laughing along with us.
"They were going to call a police van to take us back to York station so we could make a phone call, but then someone pulled over to give us a lift home. We are extremely grateful to them."
And his bride-to-be also managed to raise a smile when she heard of the ordeal.
She said: "We haven't cancelled any of the wedding invites after what happened, although I might be having a quiet word with some of those who are responsible."

Three men beat up fellow hotel guest after stag do

Three men beat up a fellow guest in a Penrith hotel after he complained about the noise they were making as they returned from a stag night, a court heard.

A judge at Carlisle Crown Court said the men 'created absolute mayhem' when they got back to the Station Hotel at 4am on June 6 last year.

All three pleaded guilty to causing actual bodily harm to James Davey.

Gordon Brown, 35, of Hamilton, Glasgow, and his brother Thomas, 30, of East Kilbride, were each ordered to pay £500 compensation to Mr Davey, £100 for the damage they caused to the hotel and £700 in court costs. They were also ordered to do 120 hours' unpaid community service.

Russell Eagleson, 45, of Aberdeen, was made to pay £500 compensation to Mr Davey and £700 in costs. He was ordered to do 80 hours' community service.

Judge Paul Batty QC described the incident as 'deplorable'.

He told the men: 'You created absolute mayhem in this hotel which had the misfortune to be housing you for that night. Each of you had been on a binge of drink and this was the result.'

He said although the incident warranted a prison sentence, it would be better if they were allowed to be with their families."

Evolution of the bachelor night

From this times article

Nowhere are these costs more blatant than in the choice of hen and stag nights. Once men were happy to drink themselves senseless within a one-mile radius of home, but now, with cheaper international flights, they do exactly the same thing abroad. “Stags scare the life out of me,” says Will, 34, a graphic designer. “It’s expensive but you can’t say no and everyone has to outdo one another. We’ve done Icelandand Dublin; and Amsterdam is so five years ago.” Next month he’s off to Bratislava. It was that or paint-balling in Lithuania.

Meanwhile, the stakes for hens are even higher because brides-to-be can be much more obsessed with status and fashion. The days of circling a handbag with a tumbler of tequila to I Will Survive are over, and recent Mintel figures indicate that exotic locations are replacing European cities — Cancún in Mexico and Las Vegas are becoming more popular. So hens can count themselves lucky to get away with a three-night tour of the cava bars of Barcelona or shopping in New York for a weekend. Will’s girlfriend Gina, 32, has just been persuaded to take part in Go Ape! — a “treetop challenge” involving rope crossings and Tarzan swings in darkest Berkshire. “I can’t think of anything I’d like to do less,” she moans.

I can. Organising a hen night for a perfectionist friend who makes the Desperate Housewives character Bree Van De Kamp look like a slob.

“She wanted the quintessential chocolate box weekend in an English country cottage and I had to organise it,” recalls Fiona, a 32-year-old lawyer. “It was like taking on a part-time job, one with a very demanding boss.”

Limousine Dangers for stas or hens

The fashion of hiring limousines for stag, hen or children's parties has unleashed potential dangers, warn police.]

Officers in Swansea uncovered the issue by staging a one-day joint operation with vehicle inspectors and local authority licensing officers, which targeted limousines as well as minibuses.
South Wales Police said the results were 'concerning'.

During the operation 12 limousines were stopped and examined. Only half passed safety and licensing checks. Four vehicles were found to have such serious defects they were immediately taken off the road and two others were issued with delayed prohibitions subject to work being carried out. The vehicles failed on various grounds, including sub-standard manoeuvrability and using non-approved tyres.

Stretch limousines are now often hired out by teenagers celebrating end-of-term 'prom' parties or to celebrate exam success. They are also popular with groups of men and women on stag or hen parties.

One of the minibuses checked was found to have 17 young people on board with only 14 seatbelts.
Pc Simon Chaplin, who led the operation, said yesterday, 'While the majority of the limo and minibus agencies in Swansea are operating legally and treating public safety seriously, the results of this operation show that some limousines in the Swansea area are not up to standard. Public safety is the first priority for any limo and minibus services and the standards should be followed strictly. He said illegal limos would be kept off the road."

Strippers steal "B-grade" Kiwi celebrity's money

"New Idea's Las Vegas wedding story comes courtesy of Paul Reid. Don't act like you don't know who Paul is. He's Marshall from Shortland Street. And front man for Kiwi rock band Rubicon.

Anyway, he's outdone Britney by marrying his fiancee, fellow ex-Shortland Street actor Rhiannon Cole, in a helicopter flying over Vegas.
But Paul almost didn't make it to the alter. He's been arrested for drunk-driving and resisting arrest since moving to LA, and his stag night went horribly wrong when he almost stabbed a friend with a kitchen knife and a group of 'hideous' strippers stole all his money.
Top effort, Paul. Weddings don't get much more scandalous than that. Keep this up and you'll move past your B-grade celebrity status in no time. "

Sweden Bizarre Stag ritual?

Ms Lewis, editor of Brand Strategy journal claims Swedish stag nights have a bizaree ending....

"I spoke to a lot of people [in Sweden] about Ikea and it is actually quite common at the end of a stag night that the man's last job is to assemble a piece of Ikea furniture"

Taken from this article

Stag party reveller run over four times

The death of a stag party reveller who was run down by four cars will be referred to the Crown Prosecution Service.

A coroner called the tragic death of Mark Flanagan, 31, a "tale of inhumanity" after hearing how a series of drivers all left the scene after hitting him.

Jeff Thomas, the Merthyr Tydfil deputy coroner, recorded a verdict of accidental death yesterday but said he would contact the CPS with a view to having the whole "disturbing" incident reviewed.

Mr Flanagan, of Glannant, Fochriw, near Bargoed, in the South Wales Valleys, was returning from his brother's stag night in Swansea when he was hit and killed.

He was returning home in a taxi but did not have enough money for the fare and was dropped off by the driver at the side of a dark and isolated dual carriageway.

An inquest in Merthyr Tydfil heard Mr Flanagan was more than three and a half times over the legal drink drive limit when he was hit while wandering in the middle of the A465 carriageway in June of last year.

A Merthyr Tydfil shopkeeper was the first to strike Mr Flanagan while he was standing in the road. The shopkeeper was speeding home from a night out in Swansea in his 4x4 vehicle and failed to stop.

He was later arrested and reported for failing to stop after an accident and failing to report an accident and is due to be summoned to appear before magistrates to answer both charges.

A minibus driver carrying a party of drunken revellers home from Swansea, then ran over the body and kept going.

Mr Flanagan was then struck by a teenage lifeguard coming home from Swansea with her boyfriend and another couple. She stopped and went back to check the body, then panicked and left the scene and went on to a party.

A teenage boy and his girlfriend were the last to run over Mr Flanagan's body by which time a party of night fishermen returning home had stopped at the scene and already reported the accident to the police.

The teenager claimed his girlfriend was suffering such shock from what happened that he left the scene to take her home, stopping further on to remove items of Mr Flanagan's clothing that were lodged under his car.

Despite the later arrest of all three drivers for the part that they played, the inquest heard that no action would be taken against any of them.

Bride-to-be's plee after groom disappears on stag night

A desperate bride issued an impassioned plea to her missing groom today after going ahead with her wedding reception following his last-minute disappearance.

Donna Marie Mooney, 22, said she feared for Said Belhassani’s safety, as it was out of character for her husband-to-be to go anywhere without telling her.




“He is just perfect, it is not like him to just up and leave like that without any word or contact or even a phone call,” she said.

The heartbroken mother, who has two young children with the Algerian, said she was devastated when she realised he was not coming to the church in Arklow, Co Wicklow, in Ireland.

“I am really hoping that he comes back to me alive, but something deep down is telling me that is not going to happen,” she said.

Mr Belhassani was last seen on his stag night last Friday.

“If he walked through the door, I’d hug him and kiss him for two or three days, then I would just knock him out,” she joked.

She appealed to him that if he got a case of cold feet, he should simply ring her to let her know he is safe.

Mr Belhassani, who was also known as Gerry, was originally from Algeria, and had been living in Ireland for 10 years.

Miss Mooney said the 31-year-old – who is currently awaiting deportation – had sought asylum last year to make his residence legal for their marriage.

She said he was Muslim and normally did not drink alcohol, but was very drunk at his stag party in Arklow town on the eve of their wedding day.

Her brother Paul said he “couldn’t even walk sideways, he was completely wasted“.

“The last words he said to me were ’I love ya and I’ll see you at the altar tomorrow and we will be husband and wife’,” Miss Mooney said.

She is worried he may have fallen into the river in Arklow, or may have been attacked as he struggled to make his way home.

Miss Mooney said the family checked with emergency services and gardai after they found no trace of Mr Belhassani the following morning – just hours before the wedding.

“I just couldn’t go to the church, I really couldn’t, it was so heartbreaking. I knew if he could get to a phone or something, he would have rung me to let me know he was OK,” she said.

Father Vincent McDevitt, who was due to marry the pair, gave a reading from the bible and prayed for Mr Belhassani’s safe return.

The priest added: “We had a practice the night before and Said was very happy. There were no fears at all.”

Miss Mooney said she went ahead with her wedding reception for family and 100 guests at the Arklow Bay Hotel to avoid letting down their guests.

“I didn’t go with my wedding dress or anything like that,” she said.

She said she had cancelled the original wedding reception entertainment but one of her close friends set up karaoke and disco music.

“By half twelve she was trying to cheer up the night, she had us all up doing ’Rock the Boat’,” she told RTE News.

Donna said her groom would not have left his children – two-year-old Keane and 11-month-old Rachid.

She said she has tried everything to locate him, even contacting his family in Algeria, who are also worried for his safety, and has ruled out his deportation without them being informed.

Mr Belhassani has been described as around 5ft 9ins tall, of slim build, with sallow skin and short hair. He was wearing blue jeans, a wine T-shirt and a brown jacket with writing across the chest when he went missing.

Gardai confirmed they are investigating his disappearance but said there has been no sign of him so far.

Brides father dies on Budapest stag weekend

A grieving bride-to-be has postponed her wedding after her father died on her fiancé's stag weekend.
Colin Byham (49) of Acton Square, Sudbury, was on his way back from Budapest with future son-in-law, Sudbury-based police officer Scott Lee-Amies, when he died on the flight back to Stansted Airport on Sunday.
Daughter Emily, a station clerk at Sudbury Police Station, was due to marry Scott this Saturday at Long Melford's Bull Hotel but the couple have now postponed their special day.

Emily (24) said: "We are devastated. Dad was a popular man in town and knew so many people because he'd been local all his life. He was born in Melford Road.
"He got on with people whatever their age and was the life and soul of the party."
Close friend Ian Witt said Mr Byham would be greatly missed.
"He was a very funny guy and had been local to Sudbury all his life.
"He knew a lot of people and will be sorely missed by everyone. I'd known him for 25 years. It's very sad."

Another friend Geoffrey McGregor, who has known Mr Byham for almost 15 years, this week paid tribute to him.
"He loved Sudbury and was very proud of this town," said Mr McGregor who runs Napier Antiques in Church Street, Sudbury.
He added: "Colin was a real local character and an all-round fun guy. He was very well-known and was very sociable."
Mr McGregor said Mr Byham, who also leaves another daughter, Sarah (19), was a prominent member of the Sudbury Institute Club in Station Road.
He was heavily involved in this year's club beer festival, which starts a week tomorrow.
"Colin was very much a part of the organisation of the beer festival and put a lot of effort into it.

"He was very much looking forward to the launch of the event.
Mr Byham was a former instructor at the Colchester Institute, teaching motor trade skills to students.
An inquest will be held into Mr Byham's death and funeral details have not yet been confirmed by the family.

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