Eiffel Tower tree exorcist caught

AN EXORCIST who hammered nails into 100 trees near the Eiffel Tower and painted them "to rid them of evil spirits" has been arrested and questioned by police.

Gardeners looking after the Champ de Mars at the foot of the Paris landmark had spotted a number of vandalised trees over a three-week period and could not work out what was happening.

They asked security guards to keep an overnight watch. The patrol spotted a 38-year-old man at about 4.30 in the morning performing his daily ritual.

Questioned by police, he said he had "protected" about 100 trees on the Champ de Mars from demon forces.

According to Le Parisien, the man had been questioned after the practice before and was briefly admitted to a psychiatric hospital. However he picked up the work again when he was discharged last month.

Christophe Villedieu - Fotolia.com