From Reuters. Sheesh.
LONDON (Reuters) - It is an ancient curse brought up to date, and residents in the northern English city of Carlisle claim it has brought them disasters from disease to the relegation of the local soccer team.
Since the installation of the sculpted granite "Cursing Stone" inscribed with a 16th century curse in one of Carlisle's museums in 2001 misfortune has plagued the city.
Livestock herds around the city on the border with Scotland were wiped out by foot-and-mouth disease, there has been a devastating flood, factories have closed, a boy was murdered in a local bakery and Carlisle United soccer team dropped a league.
Local councilor Jim Tootle insists the stone, designed by artist Andy Altman who arranged the inscription of the 1,069 word-long curse against robbers, blackmailers and highwaymen who plagued the area 500 years ago, is destroyed or removed.
But Altman bridled at the demand.
"It is just illustrating a historical past," he told Reuters. "Bad things are always going to happen, aren't they?"
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