British police undress pop singer

British police said Friday they were handing details of a pop singer's coat to state prosecutors after tests revealed it was made from the skin of monkeys that may have been illegally imported. Hertfordshire Police seized the coat late Wednesday from Pete Burns, a contestant on the reality TV program "Celebrity Big Brother," following complaints from the public. Burns had boasted on screen that the coat was made from gorilla fur.

Natural History Museum experts had concluded the coat, which appeared to be quite old, was made of fur from black and white colobus monkeys, a police spokesman said. It has been illegal to import their fur to Britain since 1975.

The Crown Prosecution Service would decide whether charges should be filed, police said. Trading in endangered species carries a penalty of up to five years in prison and an unlimited fine. Burns, who has had surgery to produce an androgynous look, is the lead singer of Dead or Alive, which had an international hit in 1985 with "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)", reports the AP. N.U.