MICE don't love cheese and prefer breakfast cereals, a Manchester researcher has discovered.

For years it has been thought that, just like in Tom and Jerry cartoons, the best way to catch a mouse is to entice it into a trap with a tasty chunk of cheese.

It was a story readily swallowed by millions who watched the cartoons from childhood.

But Manchester Metropolitan University psychologist Dr David Holmes says anyone wanting to catch a mouse should opt for cornflakes instead.

He has been carrying out research into what mice like to eat on behalf of the Stilton Traders' Association who represent the famous cheesemakers. The findings were part of a wider study into what foods attract and repel animals.