Paul the oracle octopus dies

Paul the octopus, who became an internet hit after correctly predicting a run of World Cup matches, has died.

His owners say he appears to have passed away peacefully during the night, of natural causes.

Stefan Porwoll, manager of the Oberhausen Sea Life Centre in Germany, said: "His success made him almost a bigger story than the World Cup itself."

Paul - who was born in Weymouth - predicted the winners of all Germany's World Cup clashes, and then of the final by selecting one of two boxes, each loaded with a mussel food treat and marked on the outside with one of the teams.

Staff at the centre said his death was not entirely unexpected, since common octopuses generally only live a couple of years.

Paul will live on in the form of a range of commercial enterprises ranging from special clothing lines to mobile phone applications.

He will also feature in a documentary to be released early next year.