Notts County owner Alan Hardy has announced he is putting the club up for sale... but insists the decision has nothing to do with an inappropriate picture posted on social media hours earlier.

Hardy had used Twitter to screenshot a supporter, but in sharing the image the camera roll of his mobile photo was also included.

As a result an intimate picture could be seen, and was quickly commented upon online before Hardy rectified this and deleted the post.

Notts County owner Alan Hardy has announced he is putting the club up for sale

A statement later appeared on Notts County's official website on Sunday evening, confirming the club has been 'very reluctantly' put up for sale.

'Notts County Football Club's Owner and Chairman Alan Hardy has 'very reluctantly' put the club up for sale, citing a need to focus on his external business portfolio as the reason for his decision,' the statement began.

'After considerable soul-searching, I no longer feel I can continue as the owner of Notts County Football Club,' said Hardy in the statement.

Earlier, Hardy had taken to Twitter to apologise for an image of a penis tweeted on his account

Hardy cited a need to focus on his external business portfolio as the reason for his decision

'I would like to make it clear from the outset that the club's current league position is not a factor in this decision, nor are any of the events which have unfolded in the media this weekend.

'Everyone at Meadow Lane remains staunchly committed to preserving our proud status as the world's oldest Football League club and, until a new buyer is found, I will continue to support that aim.

'The truth is, my efforts to restore Notts County's fortunes over the last two years mean my other businesses have had to take a back seat. They are now in need of my full attention.

'Looking back, as a Nottingham-born man, I take huge pride in being able to say I took on the challenge of owning the world's oldest Football League club at a time when its only alternative fate, according to my predecessor, was extinction.

'The football-related creditors had to be paid up immediately, otherwise Notts County would have ceased to exist.'