A coat allegedly made from gorilla fur and worn by a British television reality show contestant has been handed over to police following complaints from furious viewers about animal cruelty.
Hertforshire Police said Thursday the coat, worn by Dead or Alive singer Pete Burns on Channel Four television's "Celebrity Big Brother", will now be tested to confirm its origin.
The silicon-enhanced transvestite, famous for his 1985 hit "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)", had claimed to other housemates under the 24-hour scrutiny of cameras that the garment was made of fur from the endangered species.
Flamboyant Burns, 46, handed over the coat Wednesday night, police said.
"Hertforshire Constabulary will take positive action to investigate any allegation of criminal activity," the force stressed in a statement.
Britain's Biodiversity Minister Jim Knight last week warned that Burns could be thrown in jail if his claims about the coat were true.
Trading in endangered species carries a penalty of up to five years in prison and/or an unlimited fine.
Source: Agence France-Presse
