Sir Paul McCartney has disclosed that people often checked him over to make sure he wasn’t an impostor after the circulation of a conspiracy theory which claimed he had died in the 1960s.

About 40 years ago rumours about the former Beatle’s death in a 1966 accident had gained currency and conspiracy theorists proved the death with clues appearing on the cover of The Beatles” last recorded album Abbey Road.

The Telegraph quoted McCartney as saying: ””I think the worst thing that happened was that I could see people sort of looking at me more closely – ‘were his ears always like that?’””

The story, which still remains a popular Google search, circulated in October 1969 after a Detroit DJ claimed the Beatles had recruited a McCartney look-alike William Campbell, after the bass player’s death.

The cover of Abbey Road featured a bare footed McCartney and many believed this to hint dropped by the Beatles that the fourth member of the band was not alive.

The act was said to be the representation of a funeral procession and a car’s number plate with ”28IF” was believed to refer to McCartney’s age had he been alive.

McCartney told the October edition of Mojo magazine: ””It was funny really, but ridiculous. It”s an occupational hazard – people make up a story, and then you find yourself having to deal with this fictitious stuff.””

The star even explained the clues: ””I knew why I”d had bare feet – ”cos I”d kicked off my sandals. I knew the car that said ”28IF” was a completely random car that had just been parked. It was madness.””

The Beatles’ original studio albums and Abbey Road are scheduled to be re-released in a remastered version on September 9.