Local paper mistakes Labour MP David Lammy for a former President of Sierra Leone

The mix-up was from a newspaper in Lammy's constituency

David Lammy (AFP/Getty)

A Labour MP was briefly mistaken for a former president of Sierra Leone by a local newspaper in Haringey, the London borough where his constituents live.

David Lammy, the Labour MP for Tottenham, tweeted a screenshot of an article in the Tottenham and Wood Green Independent which had a picture of Julius Maada Bio underneath the headline: “MP David Lammy considers taking Ed Miliband’s job as Labour leader”.

The mix-up came despite Lammy's victories in three consecutive elections. Lammy also secured a third term in Tottenham with a comfortable 28,654 votes - the biggest majority in that constituency for 25 years.

If anyone knows who this guy is please let him know he's now the MP for Tottenham... pic.twitter.com/N0rN2yJQpR

; David Lammy (@DavidLammy) May 11, 2015

Maada Bio led a military coup in Sierra Leone in 1996 and was briefly in control of the country before handing power to Ahmad Tejan Kabbah after he won the election that year. He is still an active member of the Sierra Leone People’s Party.

Lammy has since ruled himself out of standing to lead the party but said he still hopes to be the Labour candidate for Mayor of London in 2016. The Tottenham and Wood Green Independent has amended the story.