Geographically mixed-up Algerian hackers made themselves look rather silly by defacing the website of an English stately home instead of Belvoir Fortress in Israel, their intended target.

Cyber-jihadis from a previously unknown group called Dz-SeC commandeered the website of Belvoir Castle to post an anti-Zionist rant along with an image of the Algerian national flag.

Belvoir Fortress was a Christian outpost during the Crusades, as explained in an Israeli government run-down on its history here.

Belvoir Castle, a Royalist stronghold during the English Civil War, by contrast, is best known these days as the host of an annual teddy bears’ picnic.

“We've nothing to do with the Middle-East," a Belvoir Castle spokeswoman told the Daily Telegraph. "I just help to organise the teddy bears' picnic."

"It does make more sense that they meant to target the fortress in Israel rather than the castle in Leicestershire,” she added.

The defacement has been expunged and the Belvoir Castle website restored to normal operation since the attack. ®