Comic rapped over aquarium stunt

Brighton comic Guy Venables may be prosecuted after going skinny-dipping in an aquarium tank.

Staff at the local Sea Life Centre were appalled after the 34-year-old stripped off and jumped into a tank containing sharks, turtles and fish - for a £1 bet.

He placed a fake sign on the door saying "closed for five minutes for fumigation" to prevent interruptions, according to the Brighton Argus,

He told the paper: "I took everything off except my goggles and just climbed in.

" It wasn't the sharks I was scared of most - it was the turtles. They were huge and looked very frightening."

He filmed himself swimming around for about a minute, and said he came up with the idea as a way to publicise his new comedy night at the Komedia venue, called Joker Basement, which starts tonight.

Aquarium general manager, Toby Forer, said: "We are investigating this incident, which we take very seriously. It was a reckless act. We are looking at CCTV footage and will prosecute if necessary."

Published: 3 Jun 2003