How do you tell if a pig is lying?

A NEW “miracle” truth serum could be scrapped – after scientists admitted they could not be sure whether laboratory pigs injected with the drug were lying or not.

Sixty sows and 55 boars were given the groundbreaking Alpha Veritas drug at the University of Michigan's biochemistry laboratory earlier this month.

They were then asked a series of questions, ranging from basic requests for their names and addresses, to more complex interrogation about their political and religious views, and the whereabouts of big bombs.

But the results were disappointing.

“They just grunted”, said Professor Laslo Bodarovic, who spearheaded the development of Alpha Veritas.

“We tried administering the drug in various doses, at different times of the day, when the pigs were hungry, full, bored, playful, happy, depressed - but whatever we did, the results were the same.

“We've asked everybody we know, even people who are really good with animals and not at all afraid of pigs, but nobody has been able to say for sure whether they are telling the truth or not.”

Alpha Veritas was developed thanks to $6billion of funding from The Pentagon, which wants a foolproof truth serum to use on terror suspects.

But if a second round of interviews with Parakeets does not yield better results, the drug could be scrapped altogether.

“We hope it doesn't come to that,” said Prof Bodarovic.

“People should remember there were similar difficulties when the original Polygraph machine was first tested on crane flies back in the 1920s.

“It would be a sad day for America if we gave up the progress we've made with Alpha Veritas, even if the drug has cost $10million-a-grunt so far.”