Has the Dark Knight been on a diet? Chubby caped crusader toy uncovered

This chubby toy figure is more Fatman than Batman which sold for £700 at auction.This chubby toy figure is more Fatman than Batman (Picture: SWNS)

The 20cm-high tinplate figure which dates back to the 1960s was discovered dumped in a dusty attic and looks distinctly more tubby than the modern incarnation.

Incredibly, despite not being used for nearly half a century, the battery-operated toy still works.

It was made by Japanese firm Nomura in the 1960s.

The toy was discovered after a house clearance in Staffordshire and fetched £700 at auction.

Adrian Rathbone, chief valuer at Winterton Auctioneers in Lichfield, West Midlands, said: "It is a remarkable find, the toy cuts a chubby figure compared to the slim modern-day caped crusader."

An anonymous internet bidder bought the toy on Thursday.