Dead bird causes 'spy alert' at Turkish village

A migratory bird has caused alarm in Turkey after villagers mistook it for an Israeli spy.

Suspicions were aroused when the bird, a common European bee-eater, was found dead in a field with a metal ring around its leg stamped 'Israel'.

They called the police after deciding its nostrils were unusually large and may have carried a microchip fitted by Israeli intelligence for spying.

However, Government experts who examined the bird's corpse later declared it safe.