Bratislava

A British stag-party reveller nearly missed his wedding after getting into deep water with Slovakian authorities when he swam naked in a city centre fountain. Stephen Mallone (25), who is due to get married in a few days, was sentenced to two months in prison at the end of May by a Bratislava court.

Forest managers were assessing the damage on Tuesday caused by a gale that flattened at least 7 000 trees in Slovakia’s High Tatras National Park. Park spokesperson Marian Sturcel said the toll from wind gusts was the highest since a freak windstorm in November 2004 toppled 120km² of conifer trees in the region.

Gordon Strachan suffered a disastrous first competitive match as Celtic manager following their 5-0 defeat to Artmedia Bratislava in the European Champions League in Slovakia on Wednesday night. Celtic face an almost impossible task at Parkhead on August 2 for the second leg of this second qualifying round.

Slovaks were on the lookout for a foul-smelling bank robber on Thursday after police said the thief had a nasty odor. Police spokesperson Alena Tosevova said what the bandit wore was not the most noticeable thing for workers inside the bank, but rather a strong smell, which they reported to investigators.