Dinosaur Mystery Unearthed
by our giant reporter Simon Hunt

A Suffolk man has claimed that the legend of the dinosaurs was invented by one of his descendents. Eddie Tudor, of Stafford Way, Martlesham, revealed that he made the discovery after reading diaries of his great, great Grandfather, written in the early 1800's. The first dinosaur bones were uncovered by archaeologists in Africa in the 1820's. Mr Tudor said:

"I have written proof that the whole thing was a myth. My great, great Grandfather travelled the world around eight times in his lifetime, and hit upon the idea of creating the Dinosaurs as a joke."

"He writes that he'd always hoped to discover evidence that Dinosaur-like species walked the Earth, but by the fourth time round had concluded that none had ever existed." Mr Tudor explains. "So he started making his own bones and relics and burying them round the world as he went."

The evidence is being widely refuted by leading archaeologists, who claim Mr Tudor has made-up the claims seeking media attention. Professor Alistair Shilly of the University of California said: "We have spent our lives trying to piece together the history of the Dinosaurs. To have done that and then discover that the whole thing was a big joke would make us look pretty stupid."

Nevertheless Mr Tudor, who has had the diaries carbon-dated and verified, is adamant that they are genuine.

"There's even a page describing how the bones were made," he insists. "It was a plaster-concrete mix. The skeletons of the imaginary creatures were constructed in his garage and then dismantled and buried at various sites round the world."

The legend of the Dinosaurs has captured the imaginations of generations of children and inspired films by Steven Spielberg. Mr Tudor intends to auction off his diaries at Sotheby's later in the year.