A DISTINCTLY fishy tale which appeared in satirical magazine Private Eye has annoyed bosses at a North-East hospital.
According to the latest edition of the magazine, a consignment of carp fish was put into North Tees Hospital's new ornamental pond an hour before a visit by Prime Minister Tony Blair.
But it alleges that as soon as Mr Blair's motorcade rolled away from the Stockton hospital a van returned and took the fish away.
A spokeswoman for the trust said it "completely baffled" by the story, which is untrue. "We put the fish in the pond about two weeks before the visit and they are still there, the patients and children love them," she said.
A spokeswoman for Private Eye said editor and Have I Got News For You regular Ian Heslop was out of the office and unavailable for comment last night.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article