Nintendo has explained that the blank letter with the tulip attached was due to a "temporary internal error with the communication tool used to upload the letters on to the network," and has said that any gamers who get one should delete it immediately.

Many gamers believed that the red tulip plague was the work of hackers tampering with Nintendo's WiFi network - a problem that had recently arisen when hackers managed to lock gamers out of their own villages. But rather than anything sinister, the case of the everlasting red tulip is simply an oversight by Nintendo itself.

As for those gamers with a full bloom in their lounge, Nintendo has not yet determined how to remove the item from a player's home but it is "continuing to look into the issue".

Nintendo issued an apology for the mistake but surely that shouldn't be necessary as it's already said it with flowers.

Animal Crossing will be released for DS in the UK on 31 March