Dennis the Menace is 50

London - Britain's longest surviving comic villain, Dennis the Menace (above), has celebrated his 50th birthday

London - Britain's longest surviving comic villain, Dennis the Menace (above), has celebrated his 50th birthday. Dennis, who boasts a fan club of 1.5 million members, is famous for his spiky hair and striped jersey - the unloveable horror who ultimately became the star of his own TV programme.

He first burst on to the pages of Beano in mid-March 1951 amid - according to editor Euan Kerr - fears among social workers that his atrocious behaviour might have a bad influence on children.