Sudoku halts Australian drugs trial

A drugs trial has been scrapped in Australia after jurors were found playing Sudoku in the courtroom.

Four or five members of the jury were filling in the puzzles when they should have been listening to evidence.

They were caught after the judge spotted them writing vertically instead of horizontally during the trail.

One juror said the game helped them to pay more attention by keeping their mind busy.

"Some of the evidence is rather drawn out and I find it difficult to maintain my attention the whole time," the juror said.

The trial had been going on for more than three months at a price of nearly £500,000 to the Australian taxpayers.

A new trial is expected to begin in a few weeks once a new jury has been called.

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