Computer crashed by earthworm

YEOVIL, England, Feb. 24 (UPI) -- A British man said the worm that caused his computer to crash turned out not to be a form of computer virus but an actual 5-inch earthworm.

Mark Taylor, 45, of Yeovil, England, said repairmen told him that the worm had crawled into his laptop through an air vent and coiled itself around a cooling fan, causing the computer to overheat and break down, The Daily Telegraph reported Tuesday.

Taylor said the worm itself had been "cooked" by the overheated computer.

He said the creature was likely taken into his home by his two cats, which have a taste for worms.

"The worm was obviously looking for a hiding place and must have crawled in through the air vent to get away from the cats," Taylor told The Daily Telegraph. "I couldn't help thinking that people get computer worms all the time, but not real life ones."