Oldham Council instantly regret asking the public to name their new gritter

If 2016 has taught us anything, it's that any kind of public vote means trouble.

Don't get us wrong - we're not calling for the overthrow of democracy. It's more that any polling situation in this calendar year - be it Brexit, the US election, X Factor, anything - has just resulted in a load of arguing and controversy. If you ask the public for recommendations, rather than a simple yes or no, it can get even more farcical and inappropriate. Who can forget the time we were asked to decide on a name for the new research vessel owned by the Natural Environment Research Council, and the public decreed that a vital scientific facility worth millions of pounds should be called 'Boaty McBoatface'. Of course that didn't come to pass in the end. The powers that be instead plumped for the rather more stately 'RRS Sir David Attenborough' after the national treasure and Planet Earth II narrator. We assumed that was the end of such tomfoolery, but alas it's not the case. Oldham Council are very proud of their brand new gritter, and so they should be. The salt-rock dispenser will save hundreds of locals from sore arses and bruised egos during the winter months. So chuffed are they that in their infinite wisdom, they tweeted out a request for the public to name it. https://twitter.com/OldhamCouncil/status/801531107795726338 Oh dear. Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. The public being the public, there was the predictable mix of corny, immature and decidedly 'off-colour' responses. We hate to say it, but Oldham Council really were asking for this. Here we go again... https://twitter.com/maccario/status/801704167840612353 https://twitter.com/CosyFT/status/801702821926203392 https://twitter.com/bored_scientist/status/801700968941371392 https://twitter.com/TheSimonEvans/status/801700744021889024 https://twitter.com/WeahsCousin/status/801561574045614080 https://twitter.com/wren154/status/801694877633413120 https://twitter.com/Jfarrers/status/801688145351806976 https://twitter.com/petehayman/status/801687098021576704 https://twitter.com/Inst_4_Studies/status/801549154149421060 https://twitter.com/Mwdsly/status/801537270981476352 https://twitter.com/HSV_Valiant/status/801556653334286341 https://twitter.com/Mnrrnt/status/801560379663011846 https://twitter.com/W_ash99/status/801550414520995845 https://twitter.com/andycmanutd1/status/801562041496588296 https://twitter.com/GarethSoye/status/801561812449853440