A prank has been blamed for the image of Lord Lucan being used to introduce a new parish councillor to a quiet seaside town.

The mystery of the errant earl has captivated the nation since he disappeared 43 years ago on the night his children's nanny, 29-year-old Sandra Rivett, was murdered.

But residents in West Sussex came in for a shock when the mugshot of their new parish councillor in the local magazine was none other than the missing aristocrat.

The photo cropped up in the Bersted Parish Council newsletter under the name of retired lawyer Paul Ralph.

The caption read: "We are pleased to introduce our 3 new councillors who gallantly responded to the plea for volunteers. Paul Ralph is a retired lawyer, Trevor Marshall is a former soldier, caterer and IT project manager and Keir Greenway works as a finance assistant."

Mr Ralph told the Daily Mail he "laughed like a drain" when he saw the magazine.

Brian Knight, 74, the leader of Bersted Council, said: "It was just a joke that got out of hand, so we are just dismissing it now. It was a joke and people got carried away."

An image of the magazine page was shared online by local cartoonist Mike Jupp, who posted it on Facebook.

He said: "The bloke who published the Parish Magazine isn't too happy! But that's why most folk have editorial proofreaders."