A punk band have written a song featuring lyrics inspired by a regional daily’s bills.

Brighton-based outfit Hashtag wrote the song about bills advertising the city’s daily newspaper The Argus.

Lyrics sung during the four-minute tune include “squatters set up tent village” and “big lemon makes history”, as well as “jilted lover slit ex’s throat” and “the town police forgot”.

A video for the track, called Headliner, credits the paper with the lyrics.

Hashtag on stage

Hashtag lead singer Pomy Collingwood said: “I do not read the newspapers, but you see these posters outside off licences and so on.

“And I thought, if you put them all together that’s what the news looks like, from a distance.

“Then I put it to a tune I’d had in my head for a long time. I think it’s come out really well.

“I like them a lot, I think they’re always written from a really interesting point of view.”

Argus sub-editor Kate Parkin has written the paper’s billboard posters since the late 1990s.

She said: “Well it certainly isn’t how I expected my words to be used. I’m just looking for a strong story I can describe in an eye-catching few words.

“It’s great, although to be honest I probably won’t be rushing to buy their album.”