Celebrity Big Brother Star Will Not Face Charges Over Monkey Coat  2/2/06

Eighties pop star Pete Burns will not be prosecuted over his monkey fur coat, because there is no evidence he smuggled it into England illegally.

The "Dead or Alive" singer, 46, boasted the garment was made from gorilla skin during his time as a contestant on British reality TV show Celebrity Big Brother - prompting police to confiscate the item.

Tests later revealed the coat was the product of an African colobus monkey - which has been illegal to bring into Britain since 1975, but is not illegal to own.

The Crown Prosecution Service says, "There is no evidence to suggest that this garment was imported illegally."

A spokeswoman for England's Hertfordshire Police force said the coat would be returned to the singer shortly.