For decades, the original Abbey Road picture has been cited as "proof" of a bizarre conspiracy theory by some Beatles obsessives – that Paul McCartney died in the 1960s.

On the cover of the band's Abbey Road album, Macca is barefoot, supposedly indicating that he had died and been replaced by a body double. George Harrison, in denim, was (supposedly) dressed as the gravedigger, Ringo Starr as the undertaker and John Lennon as the preacher.

Now, however, a photograph has come to light which supports McCartney's own explanation – that he had merely kicked off his sandals because it was a hot summer's day.