Penis-shaped map of Berkhamsted goes viral and accidentally boosts family-friendly Canal and River Trust's campaign

"Obviously we’re not going to be setting out to make any maps we produce in future to look phallic," the charity behind the map said

The Canal and River Trust map of Berkhamsted which was mocked for looking like a penis (Canal and River Trust )

What should have been a perfectly innocent map of an historic town in Hertfordshire has caused a fair few giggles across social media, after a Facebook user pointed out the diagram resembled an enormous phallus.

The friendly-looking cartoon style map was commissioned as part of the '100 Places to Visit' campaign by the Canal and River Trust, which looks after the waterways of England and Wales.

Depicting the area of the town which runs alongside The Grand Union Canal, the map features Berkahmsted Castle, a Canadian Totem Pole and a number of waterfront pubs.

But the town's arrangement meant the map was drawn in the shape of male genitalia - as pointed out by Facebook fans of the Haresfoot Brewery which features on the diagram.

While the owners of the Brewery praised the map as a “great graphic”, a Facebook user quipped: “It looks like a willy tee hee!!”

Responding to the unexpectedly successful map campaign, a spokesman from the Canal River Trust told The Independent: “It’s been overwhelming positive, everyone has seen it as a bit of fun. If people see the map and want to find out a bit more canals and Berkhamsted, or pay them a visit then that’s great."

Explaining why the map resembled a penis, the spokesman added: “It’s a bit in the nature of canals, they are long, straight things, and when you draw a map it tends to be that sort of shape.

“The reaction has been a bit of fun, but obviously we’re not going to be setting out to make any maps we produce in future to look phallic," he added.