ES News email The latest headlines in your inbox twice a day Monday - Friday plus breaking news updates Enter your email address Continue Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid You already have an account. Please log in Register with your social account or click here to log in I would like to receive lunchtime headlines Monday - Friday plus breaking news alerts, by email Update newsletter preferences

A local council has come up with a creative way of emphasising the importance of following coronavirus lockdown rules - by sharing a fascinating story about the explosion of a sperm whale nearly 50 years ago.

Doncaster Council used its Twitter account to share the story about officials in Oregon, USA, who decided to blow up a rotting whale carcass.

The council said the tale could teach us some lessons about coronavirus.

The story began when a 45-ft sperm whale washed up on a beach in Florence, Oregon on November 9, 1970.

There was some debate about what to do with it.

They could leave it to decompose, they could try and chop it up and bury it, or they could blow it up with dynamite and hope that seagulls ate the leftovers.

It was decided that leaving the whale to decompose would be too unpleasant, so they decided to blow it up.

George Thornton, who sensibly seemed to be wearing a hard hat in press reports from the time, was the engineer in charge of the explosion.

The World on Coronavirus lockdown 45 show all The World on Coronavirus lockdown 1/45 Getty Images 2/45 A UK government public health campaign is displayed in Piccadilly Circus Reuters 3/45 Chinese paramilitary police and security officers wear face masks to protect against the spread of the new coronavirus as they stand guard outside an entrance to the Forbidden City in Beijing AP 4/45 A usually busy 42nd Street is seen nearly empty in New York AFP via Getty Images 5/45 Bondi Beach, Australia Getty Images 6/45 Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after members of the 101 Logistic Brigade delivered a consignment of medical masks to St Thomas' hospital Getty Images 7/45 View of the illuminated statue of Christ the Redeemer that reads "Thank you" as Archbishop of the city of Rio de Janeiro Dom Orani Tempesta performs a mass in honor of Act of Consecration of Brazil and tribute to medical workers amidst the Coronavirus (COVID - 19) pandemic Getty Images 8/45 Rome AFP via Getty Images 9/45 An Indian man paddles his bicycle in front of a mural depicting the globe covered in a mask, as India remains under an unprecedented lockdown over the highly contagious coronavirus Getty Images 10/45 Aerial view of the empty 9 de Julio avenue in Buenos Aires in Argentina AFP via Getty Images 11/45 A view of an empty Grand Canal Reuters 12/45 Las Ramblas, Barcelona, Spain Getty Images 13/45 Aerial view of the empty Central cemetery in Bogota, Columbia AFP via Getty Images 14/45 Miami, Florida AFP via Getty Images 15/45 The facade of the Palacio de Lopez (seat of the government palace) AFP via Getty Images 16/45 Aerial view of the empty Simon Bolivar park in Bogota AFP via Getty Images 17/45 An LAPD patrol car drives through Venice Beach Boardwalk AP 18/45 Venice Beach, California Getty Images 19/45 Los Angeles, California Getty Images 20/45 Surfers Paradise is seen empty in Australia Getty Images 21/45 Many shops stand shuttered on the Venice Beach boardwalk Getty Images 22/45 Empty escalators are seen at a deserted train station during morning rush hour after New South Wales began shutting down non-essential businesses Reuters 23/45 A nearly empty Times Square in New York AFP via Getty Images 24/45 Caracas AFP via Getty Images 25/45 Metropolitan Cathedral of San Salvador AFP via Getty Images 26/45 A general view of an unusually quiet Midland Park in Wellington, New Zealand Getty Images 27/45 A general view of an unusually quiet Civic Square at lunchtimein Wellington, New Zealand Getty Images 28/45 A policeman rides his motorcycle wearing a face mask in front of a closed shopping mall in Buenos Aires, Argentina AFP via Getty Images 29/45 Florida Keys AP 30/45 The historic Channel 2 Bridge closed to fishermen, bikers and pedestrians in Florida Keys AP 31/45 The Beach on Scenic Gulf Drive near Seascape Resort in south Walton County, Florida sits empty of tourists AP 32/45 Surfers Paradise is seen empty in Australia Getty Images 33/45 A deserted Rajpath leading to India Gate in New Delhi AFP via Getty Images 34/45 A general view is seen of a closed Luna Park in Sydney, Australia Getty Images 35/45 A general view is seen of a closed Luna Park in Sydney, Australia Getty Images 36/45 Empty roads are pictured following the lockdown by the government amid concerns about the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Kathmandu, Nepal Reuters 37/45 An empty New York Subway car i AFP via Getty Images 38/45 The empty pedestrian zone is seen in the city of Cologne, western Germany, AFP via Getty Images 39/45 Place de la Comedie in the city of Montpellier , southern France AFP via Getty Images 40/45 An empty street in Kuwait city AFP via Getty Images 41/45 A building is covered by the Portuguese message: "Coronavirus: take precaution" over empty streets in downtown Sao Paulo, Brazil, AP 42/45 A general view shows an empty street after a curfew was imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Reuters 43/45 Parliament of Canada is pictured with empty street during morning rush hour AFP via Getty Images 44/45 A near empty beach on Southend seafront in England PA 45/45 Near empty Keswick town centre in Cumbria, England PA 1/45 Getty Images 2/45 A UK government public health campaign is displayed in Piccadilly Circus Reuters 3/45 Chinese paramilitary police and security officers wear face masks to protect against the spread of the new coronavirus as they stand guard outside an entrance to the Forbidden City in Beijing AP 4/45 A usually busy 42nd Street is seen nearly empty in New York AFP via Getty Images 5/45 Bondi Beach, Australia Getty Images 6/45 Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after members of the 101 Logistic Brigade delivered a consignment of medical masks to St Thomas' hospital Getty Images 7/45 View of the illuminated statue of Christ the Redeemer that reads "Thank you" as Archbishop of the city of Rio de Janeiro Dom Orani Tempesta performs a mass in honor of Act of Consecration of Brazil and tribute to medical workers amidst the Coronavirus (COVID - 19) pandemic Getty Images 8/45 Rome AFP via Getty Images 9/45 An Indian man paddles his bicycle in front of a mural depicting the globe covered in a mask, as India remains under an unprecedented lockdown over the highly contagious coronavirus Getty Images 10/45 Aerial view of the empty 9 de Julio avenue in Buenos Aires in Argentina AFP via Getty Images 11/45 A view of an empty Grand Canal Reuters 12/45 Las Ramblas, Barcelona, Spain Getty Images 13/45 Aerial view of the empty Central cemetery in Bogota, Columbia AFP via Getty Images 14/45 Miami, Florida AFP via Getty Images 15/45 The facade of the Palacio de Lopez (seat of the government palace) AFP via Getty Images 16/45 Aerial view of the empty Simon Bolivar park in Bogota AFP via Getty Images 17/45 An LAPD patrol car drives through Venice Beach Boardwalk AP 18/45 Venice Beach, California Getty Images 19/45 Los Angeles, California Getty Images 20/45 Surfers Paradise is seen empty in Australia Getty Images 21/45 Many shops stand shuttered on the Venice Beach boardwalk Getty Images 22/45 Empty escalators are seen at a deserted train station during morning rush hour after New South Wales began shutting down non-essential businesses Reuters 23/45 A nearly empty Times Square in New York AFP via Getty Images 24/45 Caracas AFP via Getty Images 25/45 Metropolitan Cathedral of San Salvador AFP via Getty Images 26/45 A general view of an unusually quiet Midland Park in Wellington, New Zealand Getty Images 27/45 A general view of an unusually quiet Civic Square at lunchtimein Wellington, New Zealand Getty Images 28/45 A policeman rides his motorcycle wearing a face mask in front of a closed shopping mall in Buenos Aires, Argentina AFP via Getty Images 29/45 Florida Keys AP 30/45 The historic Channel 2 Bridge closed to fishermen, bikers and pedestrians in Florida Keys AP 31/45 The Beach on Scenic Gulf Drive near Seascape Resort in south Walton County, Florida sits empty of tourists AP 32/45 Surfers Paradise is seen empty in Australia Getty Images 33/45 A deserted Rajpath leading to India Gate in New Delhi AFP via Getty Images 34/45 A general view is seen of a closed Luna Park in Sydney, Australia Getty Images 35/45 A general view is seen of a closed Luna Park in Sydney, Australia Getty Images 36/45 Empty roads are pictured following the lockdown by the government amid concerns about the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Kathmandu, Nepal Reuters 37/45 An empty New York Subway car i AFP via Getty Images 38/45 The empty pedestrian zone is seen in the city of Cologne, western Germany, AFP via Getty Images 39/45 Place de la Comedie in the city of Montpellier , southern France AFP via Getty Images 40/45 An empty street in Kuwait city AFP via Getty Images 41/45 A building is covered by the Portuguese message: "Coronavirus: take precaution" over empty streets in downtown Sao Paulo, Brazil, AP 42/45 A general view shows an empty street after a curfew was imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Reuters 43/45 Parliament of Canada is pictured with empty street during morning rush hour AFP via Getty Images 44/45 A near empty beach on Southend seafront in England PA 45/45 Near empty Keswick town centre in Cumbria, England PA

He said he wasn’t sure how much dynamite would be needed to destroy one of the world’s largest mammals, so he opted for half a tonne.

An ex-member of the military advised Mr Thornton and other officials that this was too much, and just a few sticks of dynamite would be enough for the job.

But Mr Thornton ignored the advice.

On November 12, in front of an excited crowd on the beach, the whale was blown up using half a tonne of dynamite.

As experts had warned, the explosion sent massive chunks of blubber flying through the air, and it rained down on the terrified spectators.

"The overwhelming smell sent people running for their homes as rotting whale plopped down around them," the council said.

"The situation was dangerous - a car was even crushed by a huge lump of blubber a quarter of a mile away.

"To cap everything off, the main bit of the whale stayed exactly where it had been.

"The problem hadn’t gone away, only now there were thousands of bits of problem spread for miles around."

But the unique story presents three lessons which can be learned about the coronavirus lockdown, the council said.

Don't ignore the advice that experts give you. They know what they are talking about. Sometimes, it’s better to just sit at home and do nothing than go outside and do something ridiculous. Let nature take its course. When you ignore expert advice and act like an idiot, you cover everyone else with decaying whale blubber. #StayHome and stop being selfish.

Social media users praised the council's creative way of encouraging people to follow lockdown rules and stay home.

One said: "I don't live in Doncaster and don't know anyone who does, and have no real need of civic updates from your lovely town. I am following you anyway for whale-related history and more. Long live Doncaster Council."

Another responded: "Glorious. Absolutely glorious."