Can you shell me a drink for my tortoise?

A DRUNKEN sailor stunned staff at an airport duty free shop by offering a live tortoise in exchange for a bottle of alcohol.

The man - one of 14 rowdy Estonians - was waiting for a flight home when he found he had no more money to shell out on drink.

Police were called to the North Terminal at Gatwick Airport where Customs men found another 18 tortoises and five lizards when they searched the other sailors ' luggage.

PC Clair Norton said: "This man wasn't joking when he tried to use the tortoise as currency.

"The tortoise and the other creatures animals were taken off the sailors and they were released without charge and left on a later flight home."

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