You've been Wikied! Medieval village accused of having tapeworm outbreak becomes latest victim of online encyclopaedia

But Wikipedia readers have been receiving a rather different message.

According to the world's most-used online encyclopaedia, its population was devastated by a tapeworm outbreak ten years ago. Those who remain relax by throwing sheep or shooting cows.

It gets no more than four hours of sunlight a day because of the surrounding hills. And the total population is four, none of whom is a "fit girl".

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The outbreak of misinformation, caused by at least one prankster, has been greeted with hilarity by most locals. But it is another reminder of why the website - which can be edited by anyone with an internet connection - should be taken with a pinch of cyber salt.

Until earlier this year, Denshaw's Wikipedia entry mainly comprised a discussion of the bus services connecting it to nearby Oldham and Ashton-under-Lyne. By yesterday, owever, the hijackers had given free rein to their imagination.

They claimed the village, real population about 500, "attracts people from many different locations mainly due to the competitive sports held in the village including rock rolling, cow shooting and sheep hurling".

The Denshaw entry went on: "Due to the complex hill formations surrounding the village, sunlight is only visible for four hours a day, some say a contributing factor in the local population's health problems such as obesity and severe malnurishment(sic)."

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Displaying a colourful turn of phrase, it said that until recently, the village "consisted mainly of small holding farms and a few timid brothels such as the Golden Fleece pub".

Another fabrication which might help identify the culprit claimed that Holly Wright had been named village idiot for five years running.

A further snippet was the claim that the village football pitch slopes at an angle of 35 degrees.

And detailing the extraordinary disease outbreak of a decade ago it revealed: "There has not been much tourism in Denshaw since the Ascariasis epedemic (sic) in 1998 which left most of the village seriously ill."

Ascariasis is a parasitic tapeworm infection more common in tropical climes.

"The effects are still being felt today, especially by the residents of Dumfries Drive where the epidemic was felt worst."

Julie Thomas, a 37-year-old nurse who lives in Dumfries Drive, said: "I lived here in 1998 and there was no outbreak - unless I've still got it and don't know about it!"

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Malcolm McLintock, 68, added: "I've lived here since 1948. It's a lovely place. If I won millions on the Lottery I wouldn't move away."

Rick Rainey, landlord of the 400-year-old Golden Fleece, said: "It was once frequented by highwaymen so I'm sure it has hosted ladies of the night in its past. But I can reassure customers that's not the case now."

By last night, all the spoof elements had been removed - although parish councillor Ken Hulme revealed that one of them was inspired by reality.

"The football pitch really is on a hillside," he said. "I don't know whether it slopes as much as 35 degrees, and games are played across the hill, rather than up and down it.

"But put it this way, you don't get many passes if you're playing on the uphill wing!"