Chef wants royalties from Sting hits

A 48-year-old chef is trying to sue rock star Sting, saying he helped write the hits 'Roxanne' and 'Message in a Bottle', The Mirror reports.

Roy Smith from Reno, Nevada claimed he met the Police singer in the late '70s and told him about a former girlfriend called Roxanne who was also a prostitute.

Smith also stated that he told Sting how he once wrote a message to his mother and threw it out to sea in a bottle. He is now seeking royalties from the two hits.

Sting reportedly tried to call Smith about the songs years later but the message wasn't passed on by his mother, who thought the real police were after her son.

Despite passing a polygraph test regarding the claims, Smith's case has been redirected to the civil courts by authorities.