What is really going on in politics? Get our daily email briefing straight to your inbox Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

UKIP's deputy leader has been forced to deny he starred as walking teddy bear Bungle in 70s kids’ TV show Rainbow after an internet prank.

Paul Nuttall, MEP for Merseyside, Lancashire, Cumbria, Cheshire and Greater Manchester, had his Wikipedia page edited by pranksters to say: “Nuttall was the original Bungle in children’s television show Rainbow.”

Luckily the politician, from Bootle, saw the humorous side and said: “I think this is probably the funniest thing I’ve ever read about myself on the internet. I’m all for it.”

But the politician poured cold water over the rumours, saying: “Considering I wasn’t even born when Rainbow started, it makes it very difficult indeed for this to be true.

“But I do find it really funny that people are making things like this up.”

Mr Nuttall was born in 1976 – four years after Rainbow first hit the airwaves.

The pranksters’ identities and motives are not known but lovable brown bear Bungle was actually played by actors John Leeson, Stanley Bates, Malcolm Lord and Paul Cullinan.

More than 1,000 episodes of Rainbow were made between 1972 and 1992. The show was dubbed Britain’s answer to hit US series Sesame Street.

Rainbow’s other characters included Zippy and George.

Meanwhile before going into politics, Mr Nuttall taught history at Hugh Baird College and Liverpool Hope University.

The politician believes UKIP could win more than 10 seats in the north of England in next year’s General Election and says UKIP has a hit-list of northern seats it wants to seize in 2015.

“The number is in the double figures rather than single,” he told the Liverpool Echo .

And Mr Nuttall confirmed his desire to stand himself.

"The chances are I will be standing in the General Election,” Mr Nuttall said.

“But I have not made a decision as to where and will be having more discussions with my party in the near future.”