A politician in Mexico has launched a Facebook competition to find a lookalike who can attend official events and engagements for him when he is unavailable.

Mexican politician appeals for lookalike

Mexican politician appeals for lookalike

Four people are already said to have entered Renato Tronco Gomez's body double contest, which has a prize of $2,700 (£1,750).

Renato - who is an independent deputy in the eastern state of Veracruz - has also promised to give the successful applicant training in how to speak and act like him.

According to the Daily Mirror newspaper, he said: ''My double will not be able to attend sessions of parliament, because you vote with your fingerprint and I'm not going to cut off my finger to give it to my double.

''There is going to be an agreement that he can't sleep with my wife, nor live in my house, nor be father to my children.''