Fairbanks was Headless Man

The secret findings of a government inquiry into the "headless man" scandal that rocked high society have finally been made public.

The secret findings of a government inquiry into the "headless man" scandal that rocked high society have finally been made public.

The actor Douglas Fairbanks Jnr has been identified as the figure shown in explicit Polaroid pictures that were produced at the divorce case between the Duke and Duchess of Argyll in 1963.

The results of an inquiry by Lord Denning to identify the mystery figure were made available to a team from Channel 4 for a documentary to be shown tomorrow night. The programme, Secret History: The Duchess And The Headless Man, says Fairbanks was among 88 men the Duke had thought to have been his wife's lovers. Others on the list included ministers, members of the Royal Family and film stars.

The sexually explicit pictures, which show the Duchess performing fellatio with the "headless man", were dated to 1956 and became a key piece of evidence in the scandalous divorce case. The judge, Mr Justice Wheatley, said the Duchess indulged in "disgusting sexual activities to gratify a basic sexual appetite".

Since then the mystery has remained, although there has been speculation about the man's identity. One rumour suggested it was the former defence secretary Duncan Sandys, who the Channel 4 researchers believe is implicated by other photos. Fairbanks, who died earlier this year at the age of 90, had been named previously, but denied any involvement.