Reports from a drought-stricken village in north-eastern Kenya say that 10 people were hurt when monkeys attacked them for their drinking water.

The Kenyan newspaper, the Daily Nation, says the trouble started in Takaba - a trading centre in Mandera District - shortly after villagers began drawing water from three tankers.

A troop of obviously thirsty monkeys approached the villagers and began biting and clawing at them and throwing stones.

The villagers fled, leaving the monkeys free to drink as much water as they wanted.

But the people returned later, armed with axes and knives and drove them back, killing eight of the monkeys.

The whole incident took two hours, and an official is quoted as saying the monkeys stood their ground and fought back, but eventually retreated.

Residents of the town who were injured were treated at the local clinic.

Yesterday, aid agencies appealed for help in dealing with a famine caused by severe drought in areas across the Horn of Africa, including north-eastern Kenya.