'Desperate for a shag': fraudsters target New Zealand's bird of the year poll

Organisers said the flood of votes traced back to Australia was 'potentially someone's idea of a joke'

New Zealand's annual Bird of the Year competition has been hit by foreign interference after 300 fraudulent votes, traced to Australia, were all cast in favour of the shag.

The humorously-named seabird - also known as the kawau in New Zealand and as the black cormorant in Australia - received a flood of votes on Wednesday night that organisers said was "potentially someone's idea of a joke".