Hertfordshire Police announced that experts from the Natural History Museum in London had discovered the fur on Dead or Alive singer Pete Burns' coat originated from black and white colobus monkeys.

Officers investigated the garment after the silicon-enhanced transvestite -- famous for his 1985 British number one hit "You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) -- boasted on "Celebrity Big Brother" that it was made from gorillas.

The claim, made under the 24-hour scrutiny of Channel Four television's cameras, sparked outrage from several viewers and concern from Britain's Biodiversity Minister Jim Knight.

Police said they had passed a file to the Crown Prosecution Service to decide whether charges should be brought as importing monkey fur has been illegal in Britain since 1975.

"Any offences under the Control of Trade in Endangered Species regulations around this type of animal would be around the illegal importation of this type of fur," said a Hertfordshire Police spokesman.

Flamboyant Burns, 46, handed over the coat to police Wednesday night.

The Natural History Museum said in a statement that the fur came from the Guereza species of black and white colobus monkeys.

"Zoologists examined the morphology (physical features) such as fur type, pattern and colour and made direct comparisons with mammal skins in their scientific study collections in order to determine the group of animals from which the fur originally came," they said.

"The museum usually works with whole animals, complete skins, skulls, teeth and skeletons, but with its world-class comparative collections, it was ideally placed to carry out the identification."

Among the other celebrity dwellers in the Big Brother house are firebrand MP George Galloway, American basketball star Dennis Rodman and Traci Bingham, a former "Baywatch" babe of television fame.

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