FarmVille's controversial Bulgarian flag claims first council victim

Plovdiv has earned its second claim to fame of the year. Not content with being visited by Brendan's group of Channel 4 coach trippers, the Bulgarian city has become embroiled in a bitter battle over pixelated farms.

Local councillor Dimitar Kerin was removed from office after becoming addicted to FarmVille, the most popular game on Facebook, according to Bulgarian news agency Novinite.

Perhaps he got too carried away with the announcement earlier this month that a Bulgarian flag is being made available for virtual farmers from the country, a decision that didn't go down too well with self-confessed Polish FarmVille freak, Pilsudski.

Novinite reported that Mr Kernin "defended himself by saying he was not the only one in the City Hall watering virtual egg plants".

He had apparently reached level 40 on the game, which simultaneously worries and baffles me, whereas naughty Daniela Zhelyazkova, from those bastards at the Democrats for Strong Bulgaria party, had got to level 46.

While the sneaky Ms Zhelyazkova got away with planting, growing and harvesting her crops, Mr Kernin was unceremoniously fired from his position.

Perhaps the former councillor will consider using his recently-acquired transferable skills to lobby the Bulgarian government on behalf of real farmers in the country, who today expressed concern over the sale of agricultural land to private investors.

Maybe Mr Kernin is remaining upbeat. After all, he was terribly lucky that Bulgaria had a FarmVille flag in the first place, which cannot be said of Hungary (Hy, I am Hungarian, so I and all other Hungarians would really appreciate a Hungarian flag. thx), Israel (OVER 200,000 FANS HERE IN ISRAEL WANT AN ISRAELI FLAG !!!!!!) and Albania (We are 10.000 Albanian Farmville Fans SOOOOOO We want an albanian FLAG).

Pic credit: iant...