British illusionist's Russian roulette stunt faked

An illusionist's attempt to trick British television audiences into thinking he had played Russian roulette with a loaded pistol backfired yesterday when police said the weapon contained only a blank round.

Derren Brown, 32, had been televised by Britain's Channel 4 pretending to shoot at himself with the loaded pistol, raising protests from police and anti-weapons groups.

Brown said he used a series of psychological tests to supposedly read the mind of the person who loaded the pistol, to determine which chamber contained the bullet.

But police on the Channel Island of Jersey, where the stunt was filmed, said the film company was "experienced in pyrotechnics, in making smoke and bullet holes appear".

"It was no different to film which uses special effects," said police chief Lenny Harper.