Octopus Paul is really Paulo from Italy

Octopus oracle Paul may have correctly predicted the results of eight World Cup matches including the final, but claims about his nationality are proving less reliable.

The official Sea Life Aquarium version is that Paul was hatched at its Weymouth aquarium two and a half years ago and moved to Oberhausen, Germany.

However, it is now claimed he is a four-month-old Italian. The truth was revealed by Verena Bartsch who cared for Paul after he was caught near Elba.

It means he cannot be the same octopus that predicted the outcome of European Championship games in 2008.

Berlin Zoo curator Rainer Kaiser said: "A male octopus of this sort can't live much beyond 16 months."