Ananova:

A group of 14 monkeys appear to be staging a bizarre campaign against smokers at a building in India.

According to reports, the monkeys march around the Sahara India building in Patna in single file and deliver a sharp slap to anyone found smoking.

Witnesses say the creatures have surrounded 'offenders' and even emptied their pockets of cigarettes. On one occasion they started smoking the cigarettes themselves, and began to cough and splutter.

One office worker named only as Anuj told The Hindustan Times: "They have terrorized the entire neighbourhood. They enter offices and sit on the vacant chairs and flap through official files and no-one ever dare disturb them."

Deepak Kochgaway, a senior reporter at the Rashtriya Sahara newspaper, says the monkeys live in the building's pipes. "I have informed the police and the authorities about the monkey trouble," he said.

"No-one dares to carry cigarettes in their pockets, let alone smoke. Everyone is afraid of getting accosted by the monkeys.

Office workers have tried to appease the monkeys with bananas and sweets, but have been ignored .