You might think that procuring public services in the UK can be a headache-inducing process, but spare a thought for councillors in the Russian city of Sochi who are on the lookout for someone willing to 'dispose' of 2,000 stray cats and dogs.

Sochi will be hosting the 2014 Winter Olympics and the local authority is offering to pay 1.7m rubles to potential hunters to bring the stray animal population under control before the event.