Two absolute jokesters in the Egyptian capital Cairo, who duped police into holding condom balloons, are now facing jail after a video of them carrying out the stunt went viral.
The Daily Mail report that actor Ahmed Malek and reporter Shady Hussein, who work for a satirical TV show, filmed themselves carrying out the practical joke on the fifth anniversary of the 2011 uprising.
The video shows the pranksters unwrapping and inflating the condoms before writing on them ‘From the youth of Egypt to the police’.
The pair then head to Tahrir Square managing to dupe a number of officers into holding the balloons.
They also mimicked the new president’s supporters by waving Egyptian flags, kissing the ground, and shouting ‘Long live Egypt!’
The video’s been watched over one million online and has been shared an astounding 15,000 times.
However, prosecutors in Cairo haven’t seen the funny side and say they are reviewing the clip due to a string of complaints accusing them of insulting the police.
If the pair are charged and convicted then they could face at least six months in prison and a fine of £10,000.
But Mr Hussein spoke out about the footage saying the prank, however offensive, paled in significance when compared to police abuses he saw during the 2011 uprising.
He wrote on Facebook:
What, why are you all worked up?
People have not forgotten and will not forget what you did. I feel like my days outside prison are numbered.
His status update was shared over 20,000 times in less than an hour.
Meanwhile his colleague Mr Malek also responded on Facebook, but with an apology.
He wrote:
Maybe this whole situation arose from the frustration associated with the lack of freedom of speech that my generation is enduring these days.
Still, that does not give me the right to transgress or express my views in a way that encroaches on the rights of others.
I sincerely apologise to anyone insulted by the video, especially the police.
The company that produces the satirical show Hussein reports for said it totally opposes what he did.
There has been no formal reaction from the Interior Ministry, but an unofficial Facebook page that claims to speak for the police demanded that the two be brought to justice. It warned: “Congratulations, you have made an enemy of 37,000 officers.”
More of a concept than a journalist, Tom Percival was forged in the bowels of Salford University from which he emerged grasping a Masters in journalism.
Since then his rise has been described by himself as ‘meteoric’ rising to the esteemed rank of Social Editor at UNILAD as well as working at the BBC, Manchester Evening News, and ITV.
He credits his success to three core techniques, name repetition, personality mirroring, and never breaking off a handshake.