Disgraced army goat redeemed on Cyprus
A British army regiment’s ceremonial pet goat, demoted in disgrace in June after he stepped out of line during a parade marking Queen Elizabeth II’s birthday celebrations, has regained his stripes, Agence France-Presse cited army officials as saying yesterday. The six-year-old Billy, attached to the 1st Battalion Royal Welsh, reportedly regained his rank of lance corporal after «turning heads» during a military parade last week near Limassol – on the same field where he had lost his footing in June. «He marched proudly and with his head held high,» AFP cited British Forces spokesman captain Crispin Coates as saying. Billy was downgraded from the rank of lance corporal to private after army chiefs deemed that his «unacceptable behavior» had ruined the Queen’s birthday celebrations.