A position as a paintball bullet tester has attracted a whopping 10,000 applicants from across the UK and even further afield, with hopefuls from the US, Canada and India also putting their hat into the ring.

The job, which was advertised by UKPaintball as having a salary of £40,000 a year pro rata, has shocked the firm with its popularity.

UKPaintball owner, Justin Toohig, said: “This incredible response is the last thing we expected when we posted the advert. We couldn’t have predicted that so many people in the UK and beyond would want to get shot for a living.”

The part-time bullet tester advert that attracted all the interest called for those who were “looking for a new challenge with… awesome colleagues?” and said that people with “relatively high pain thresholds” should look into the opportunity.

“The job will essentially involve being shot at with every new batch of paint bullets to ensure that all health and safety checks are in place before we can use them on the general public and paying customers.

“Whilst the checks will of course be carried out by trained professionals with a wealth of experience, the role may pose a small risk of pain, discomfort and some bruising.”

A Christmas tree described as the worst in Britain has found a new home after it was ridiculed at Christmas 2013 by residents of Stockton, the town where it was erected.

The 20-foot tree was described as a ‘dunce’s hat, an ice cream cone and an embarrassment’ along with other choice phrases when it was put up in Stockton town centre by Stockton Council last year.

The tree – which was made of white fabric and cones with illuminated snowflakes – became known as the worst tree in the country and residents clamoured for it to be taken down. However, this year it has found a new home in a nearby town.

Judith Haysmore, chief executive of the Daisy Chain autism charity, was offered the tree by Stockton Council and gladly accepted. It now sits outside a charity building in nearby Norton.

“I know not many people seemed to like it,” said Ms Haysmore to Sky News. “But when Stockton Council offered it to us we were happy to take it in and give it a home.”

A council spokesman added: “Surely there must be a place in our hearts at this time of year for the lost, the lonely and the outcast … including Christmas trees.”

US shoppers on the look out for the perfect Halloween costume for this year will now have a range of Ebola-themed outfits to choose from, with the range sparking much controversy across the country.

Emergency protection clothing has been touted as the most popular costume for Halloween 2014, with a range of hazmat suits, respirators, rubber gloves and gas masks going on sale despite the Ebola crisis raging on.

For sale at costume shops across the US, the yellow and white hazmat suits, which are most commonly donned by health workers who are coming into contact with Ebola samples or patients as part of their work, have proven a hit with buyers.

Richard Parrott of Ricky’s costume confirmed that “people are definitely asking about an Ebola-type costume”. However, he went on to say that, while he had thought about making an Ebola-style costume and donating a portion of the profits towards finding a cure for the virus, he had decided against it as it “felt like it probably crosses a line that we don’t want to cross”.

Another firm, BrandsOnSale, is selling an ‘Ebola Containment Suit Costume’ for $79.99, (AU$91) featuring a white outfit emblazoned with the word ‘Ebola’. The store says that the outfit will “literally be the most ‘viral’ costume of the year”.

Many feel that these costumes make light of what is an incredibly serious issue – more than 4,500 people have so far died from the disease, mainly in West Africa.

This is not the Spice Girls

Whether it’s water from a cup that Elvis Presley once drank out of, a piece of toast with the face of the Virgin Mary burnt into it or an empty jar claiming to contain the ghost of some man’s friend, there’s just about nothing you can’t buy on eBay. Or perhaps more accurately, there’s just about nothing that some idiot somewhere won’t spend their money on.

The latest bizarre item bought at the world’s largest online auction is a set of six sticks resembling the Spice Girls.

A user who goes by the moniker Whackychop sold the set of twigs – which they retrieved from De Beauvoir Square in Hackney, London – for £62… plus £3.20 postage and packaging. Worryingly, the tree parts actually received 27 bids, all thanks to this seller’s unique way of marketing his foraged goods.

Whackychop, or Babak Ganjei to use his real name, likened the bits of bark to the Spice Girls, stating that each had its own unique personality and appearance. Indeed, the description also claimed the sticks were “travel-sized” and “premium” because of the fact they come from such a coveted area of the city, making them the perfect for any parent looking to impress their young daughter.

It is unclear whether it is the sticks’ outlandish characters or angelic singing quality that reminded Whackychop of the purveyors of ‘girl power’, but you must admire his East End entrepreneurial spirit in being able to flog the twigs for more than a speckled hen a piece.

Why work when you can snuggle?

The winter blues are said to be the main factor behind today’s ‘national sickie day,’ during which employees opt to remain at home under their duvets rather than venturing into work.

The financial hangover from the festive season, coupled with the short days and cold weather have all led to staff staying off work, a trend which could cost firms as much as £34 million.

Professor of organisational psychology and health at Lancaster University, Cary Cooper, told Metro: “The ‘National Sickie Day’ may seem like a bit of a joke with some of these wild excuses, but there are some serious underlying reasons hiding beneath the surface.

“This time of year is tough, especially for those struggling to meet financial commitments or just fed-up after the holiday season. So it’s no great surprise that it’s the peak point for absences. Smart bosses know when to show a little understanding – when to say, ‘ok, take a day off, just don’t abuse my trust.’”

Peter Mooney from Employment Law Advisory Services, said that staff decisions to take a duvet day can seriously impact businesses by “zapping workplace energy and productivity levels.”