A man claiming to be a Greek Interpol agent with information that Islamic terrorists had arrived in Brussels from Greece with the aim of sabotaging NATO headquarters has turned out to be a Belgian reported missing from his home near NATO headquarters in Mons.

The 42-year-old man, whose name was not given, was found half-conscious in the port of Trieste a few days ago. He told Italian police he had been beaten up by a group of four Islamists who he said had told him they were about to attack the NATO headquarters.

The police officers interrogating the man became suspicious when he could not speak any Greek, but used Belgian idioms when speaking French.

The man, who is allegedly mentally disturbed, had been reported missing by his wife on July 17.