Mobsters send shopkeeper donkey's head

Thugs who tried to scare an Italian shopkeeper by sending him the decapitated head of a donkey have been branded "idiots" by police.

Bread shop owner Antonio Gemetti had earlier refused to pay protection money and called his local force when the animal's head appeared.

According to Ananova, the idea may have come from The Godfather where a film producer wakes up to find his racehorse's head in his bed.

However, Gemetti reportedly has no particular affinity with donkeys and was not scared by the tactic.

A police spokesman said: "The man didn't know the donkey, he didn't own the donkey, he doesn't care about donkeys.

"It didn't make sense. It was the work of idiots."