A PET shop boss claims his Rossendale store is harbouring a miracle discovery on the side of a fish.

That's the claim of an Asian customer who says he has found a fish whose distinctive markings spell the Arabic word for God.

The man spotted the young Oscar fish at Walker Aquatics, Bacup Road, Waterfoot.

Owner Tony Walker, 40, today said the unidentified man jumped back and immediately offered to buy the fish without knowing what it was.

He said: "He has not got fish but he came with a regular customer.

"He started looking around the shop and then he just fell back and said that the markings said "Allah" in Arabic.

"I thought he was going to have a heart attack.

"Every Oscar has distinctive markings, like a fingerprint, so you cannot find another one like this."

Mr Walker said the man told him he had previously seen Allah spelt in the seeds of a tomato in Germany and in the rings of a tree in Australia.

He sold the Oscar for the sale price of £10.

Since then more Asian customers have confirmed that the bright orange markings do spell out the name "Allah".

The fish is still in the shop while the man buys the rest of the equipment.

And Mr Walker, who said he could have been squids in if he had known what the markings said, added: "We have about six Asian customers who come in and all have said that it says Allah.

"If I put it on ebay I would have thousands for it but I am still going to sell it to him for £10."