Prince Andrew's closest friends have hired forensic experts to examine photographs of him with Jeffrey Epstein and one of his 'victims' Virginia Roberts Giuffre, it has been claimed.

The Duke of York's 'inner circle' is believed to have recruited experts to analyse the authenticity of two photographs that have placed him at the centre of the Epstein scandal.

The first image shows Andrew strolling through Central Park with the billionaire paedophile in 2010 - two years after Epstein admitted to prostituting girls as young as 14.

The second picture is of him at Epstein's former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell's London home in 2001. Andrew has his hands around the waist of Virginia Roberts Guiffre, who was 17 at the time and claims to have been used as Epstein's sex slave.

Lawyers have already questioned the authenticity of the images, with sources claiming Andrew's fingers look 'too chubby' and they could be a 'stitch-up'.

A source told the Sunday Times the heights of Andrew and Ms Roberts Guiffre don't look right.

The Duke of York's 'inner circle' is believed to have recruited experts to analyse the authenticity of two photographs that have placed him at the centre of the Epstein scandal. This one is of Andrew at Epstein's former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell (pictured right)'s London home with a 17-year-old Virginia Roberts Guiffre next to Prince Andrew

They told the paper: 'Prince Andrew does not recognise the photo. And the more you look at it, the odder it gets. The Duke is 6ft. Virginia Roberts Giuffre is 5ft 3in.

'There are certainly not nine inches between them. There is something decidedly wrong about it.'

The second image shows Andrew strolling through Central Park with the billionaire paedophile in 2010 - two years after Epstein admitted to prostituting girls as young as 14

Ms Roberts Guiffre, who was previously known as Virginia Roberts but now uses her married name, claims Epstein forced her to have sex with Andrew in London, New York and the businessman's private atoll in the US Virgin Islands.

The US Justice Department and the FBI both believe the pictures are geniuine.

Earlier this year Buckingham Palace said in a statement: 'Any suggestion of impropriety with underage minors is categorically untrue.' and 'It is emphatically denied that the Duke of York had any form of sexual contact with Virginia Roberts. Any claim to the contrary is false and without foundation.'

Prince Andrew said of Epstein: 'At no stage during the limited time I spent with him did I see, witness or suspect any behaviour of the sort that subsequently led to his arrest and conviction.'

The are also concerns about images of Ms Roberts Guiffre at a party in St Tropez on France's Cote d'Azur and two months later with British model Naomi Campbell.

A forensic expert told the Sunday Times it is 'weird' she appears to be wearing exactly the same outfit.

Buckingham Palace told MailOnline they will not be commenting on the claims.

A new TV documentary recently re-examined claims Prince Andrew joined in an orgy with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and nine young women.

Epstein killed himself in his jail cell earlier this month and escaped prosecution and poverty in doing so

Ms Roberts Guiffre made the allegation - which the Prince vehemently denies - in court papers in 2015.

An investigation by Channel 4's Dispatches re-examined the court papers and looked at Ms Roberts Guiffre's medical records from around the time she says she was abused.

The programme cites a court deposition made in January 2015 as part of a defamation case brought by Epstein's former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, where she states that the 'third time' she had 'sex with Andy' was 'in an orgy on Epstein's private island in the US Virgin Islands'.

She said she was 18 at the time and that 'approximately eight other young girls, and I had sex together'.

She said Epstein had joked that the girls couldn't communicate well due to a language barrier and that he said they were the 'easiest' girls to get along with.