A nutty tale about some drug-addled squirrels has inspired a group of musicians.

In 2005, the South London Press carried a front page splash about squirrels in Brixton getting hooked on crack cocaine.

Now, local music producer Fabrizio Z has formed a band named after the famous headline – Squirrels on Crack.

Chief reporter Greg Truscott broke the exclusive “tail” of the squirrels finding crack cocaine in residents’ gardens after dealers stashed them there to evade arrest.

It was feared that the animals were becoming addicted and showed increasing signs of strange behaviour.

The bizarre story was followed up by The Sun, Guardian and Washington Post as well as on radio and television.

Fabrizio first saw the story on a billboard outside his local newsagent.

He told the South London Press: “I live in Brixton and know the area but seeing this was really mind blowing.

“It is such an innocent animal and I could not believe they were getting addicted to crack.

“When I go running around Brockwell Park, I see these squirrels sometimes acting quite bizarre and acting quite aggressive.

“I don’t know if it’s just Brixton or the crack.”

Greg said: “I’m very flattered that my story, which was written on a slow day at the office, has inspired Fabrizio.”

It has also inspired some sportsmen after a local cricket team, containing some SLP staff, named themselves the Trinity Crack Squirrels.