Dennis the Menace has lost his 'Menace' in a rebranding of the iconic Beano character.

The mischievous schoolboy will from now on be referred to just as Dennis after ‘moving away from his menacing ways.’

While the moniker had already been dropped in new CBBC series Dennis & Gnasher Unleashed, ‘Menace’ will also now no longer appear in the weekly Beano comic.

The TV show has seen the character joined by a host of new friends including a rock drummer girl and Rubi, who uses a wheelchair, though Dennis is still accompanied by his trusty pet dog Gnasher.

Mike Stirling, head of Beano Studios Scotland, said that the revamp is “reflective of the world we all live in today”.

“Today’s Dennis is a flawed hero, a ten-year-old boy who fears nothing and sometimes gets into trouble as a result.”

“He makes mistakes just like any other person but his mistakes only make him more determined to succeed.

“He has moved away from his ‘menacing’ ways but still dances to the beat of his own drum as a mischief-maker and is very much a leader amongst his pals,” he explained.

Beano has also reimagined Dennis’ arch nemesis Walter, who was branded a ‘softy’ in the comics and was frequently depicted as the victim of bullying.

Not only is Walter no longer a ‘softy’ but has been transformed into a schemer with grand plans ‘who thinks the adventures of childhood are highly overrated’.