17 March 2008: Banks are better than haystacks

An Ethiopian farmer has lost almost one-third of his life savings - to rats.

The 52-year-old farmer from central Ethiopia didn't trust banks, and fearing that a house fire might burn his money if he kept it indoors, decided to stash his cash in a haystack.

But rats in the haystack ate nearly 2,000 pounds worth of the 6,200 pound deposit.

The unnamed farmer is thought to be reviewing his banking arrangements.