Spoonbender Uri Geller destroys Lord Mayor's chain

Geller, best known for his ability to bend spoons, had warned Mayor Eddie Clein: "Don't come too close. I don't get on with chains." Minutes later the 150-year-old chain valued at 500,000 pounds (700,000 dollars) fell apart. "It was astonishing. The chain was beautiful, studded with diamonds and as a semi-joke I told the mayor to keep away or it would bend. But I did hold it and have a look. Suddenly there was a shriek from a nearby table and the back of the medal was completely bent out of shape," Geller told the newspaper.

Geller, who is London-based and works for the Jewish Telegraph, was among 150 people marking the paper's 50th anniversary dinner in Manchester. A spokesman for the mayor's office told the Mirror the chain would be repaired.

(la/dpa)