Holy cheese sandwich has the whiff of a hoax

Online auctioneer eBay has barred from sale on its website half of a 10-year-old cheese sandwich claimed by its owner to bear an image of the Virgin Mary.

Jewellery designer Diana Duyser drew bids as high as ?12,000 before eBay pulled the item. Her page was viewed nearly 100,000 times before being taken down.

Website administrators emailed Ms Duyser that eBay "does not allow listings intended as jokes". But she insists the sandwich is no laughing matter, claiming: "I wanted to share it with the world."

Made of plain white bread with American cheese, it was grilled without oil or butter. She took a bite before noticing the likeness, but then put it in a clear plastic box with cotton-wool balls.

The sandwich, claims Ms Duyser, 52, has never sprouted a spore of mould.