Transfer bid in for psychic octopus

A British bookmakers has put a bid in to buy Germany's psychic octopus, after his 100 per cent success rate in predicting the winners of World Cup matches.

William Hill is so fearful of Paul the octopus's tipster talents the betting company has approached the aquariam where he lives in Germany to see if they can buy him to prevent him from making any more accurate predictions.

Anyone who put a ten pound bet on Paul's first prediction and then continued putting that money on the octopus's tips would have won 2,940 pounds.

"Nearly three grand, based on a tenner and an octopus," said Rupert Adams from William Hill.

The bookies negotiators got in touch with the aquarium in Oberhausen, where Paul lives, to see how much they wanted for the tentacled tipster.

But the English-born octopus is definitely not for sale, says "Sea Life" spokeswoman Tanja Munzig: "There are a lot of offers for Paul from betting offices and other areas. One thing is clear: Paul is staying with us,"