The Weekly World News -- which has previously reported "revelations'' about the Bermuda Triangle -- states authorities blame 27 deaths on the "mutant man-of-wars''.

And the paper quotes a fictitious marine biologist as blaming radioactive leaks from a wrecked Soviet submarine off Bermuda for the monster jellyfish.

Of course the story has arisen from the true facts of the Soviet nuclear sub reported to be leaking 500 miles off Bermuda last month.

That may be the only true point in the story. Even the biologist Dr. Calvin Peabody does not exist.

Weekly World News correspondent Lisa Merakis in "Hamilton, Bermuda,'' writes: "Giant mutant jellyfish are terrorising residents of this tropical island -- and dozens of human swimmers have died in agony in their poisonous tentacles.

"Scientists believe the freak Portuguese man-of-wars, which measure up to 200 feet in length, are the product of radioactive leaks from a wrecked Soviet sub located a few hundred miles east of here.

"The enormous mutants first appeared off the Island three weeks ago and are believed to be drifting in strong ocean currents toward the east coast of the United States.

"These monsters have overcome porpoises, human swimmers and whales and even attacked small fishing boats and yachts, says Calvin Peabody, a marine biologist stationed at the Island's centre for oceanic studies.'' Merakis goes on to describe the 27 deaths including eight found "entwined in the killer tentacles of the purplish blue jellyfish''.

She also states that Peabody is concerned that the radiation could produce giant mutant sharks, eels and stingrays.

Curator of the natural history museum at the Bermuda Aquarium, Dr. Wolfgang Sterrer said it was a possible for the Portuguese man-of-war to stretch to lengths of 200 feet if its tentacles are fully stretched on a calm day.

But Dr. Sterrer stressed there had been no reported deaths from jellyfish stings in Bermuda although there have been deaths in the Caribbean and around the Pacific.

He said: "The stings can be very potent although they do not actually attack anything. They are pretty dim-witted and just move around trying to catch plankton.'' Dr. Sterrer said he had never heard of a marine biologist in Bermuda called Peabody.

Other stories in the Weekly World News include a radio station broadcasting "from Hell'', "70-year-old woman gives birth to quints'', "Ancient beauty cream made from rhino poop'', "Earth's twin found'', "Man spends eight years with hatchet in his head'' and "Bible's burning bush found in Holy Land''.

The Weekly World News also takes some real, offbeat stories like the latest case of a wife cutting off a man's penis and a woman who bailed her ex-husband from jail and then "blew him away''.

It has strange advice on health and happiness including recommendations for old people to remain drunk and live longer, eat three raw fish a day and "How to stop a backstabbing co-worker''.

Like the Sunday Sport in the UK and the National Enquirer in the US, the stories appear to be fantasy based on a couple of facts.

SHOCKING NEWS -- How the Weekly World News reported the news about Bermuda's killer mutant jellyfish.