Last ever photo taken of Lord Lucan only deepens mystery of nanny killer who vanished

The photo was found on Lord Lucan's bed in his London flat by police officers and taken away as evidence. The black and white image has never been published before

This grainy passport photo is the last ever picture taken of Lord Lucan before he disappeared. It has never been seen before.

Police found the photo of Lucan carefully laid out on his own bed at his flat at 72A Elizabeth Street in London’s exclusive Belgravia on the night he vanished in 1974. It was found by police officers and taken away as evidence. The black and white image has never been published before.

Several years ago it was handed over to a retired police officer who has decided that it should now be made public. Lucan had clearly had it taken while sitting in an old-fashioned passport booth. It shows Lucan, with a big bushy moustache, wearing a light coloured suit and a dark coloured tie.

Back on November 7th 1974 Lucan killed the family nanny Sandra Rivett before disappearing - never to be seen again On Wednesday the BBC will screen a special series of three one hour long documentaries on the crime that shocked the world.

On the night of the murder police launched a desperate “all alerts” manhunt for Lucan. They first went to 5 Eton Row, a townhouse just round the corner from the attack, which was owned by the Lucan family trust. But when they broke in, he wasn’t there, it was empty.

Then detectives visited another smaller property, 72a Elizabeth Street, which was a rented mews apartment. When they got in they found clothes and belongings left neatly on the bed.

The detectives also saw the entire contents of Lucan's pockets: this passport photo, a chequebook, credit cards and a driving licence. There was also £80 in notes and several coins. It was spread out as if "awaiting collection".

A legal source, who worked on the investigation at the time said: "Police at the time were fully convinced Lucan had left everything on the bed so nothing would have dropped out of his pockets when he was attacking his wife. He was fully intending to return to the flat after killing his wife.

"But having attacked the wrong woman he never did so. He never returned. The items were left there and despite being pieces of evidence they weren't handled very well. This passport photo was taken and eventually given to a police friend of mine."

Several sources have said the vital evidence involved in the case was not properly stored. Lucan had moved to flat 72a Elizabeth Street after splitting up from his wife following a bitter and nasty separation.

The source added: "Above the bed on a book shelf an officer spotted a book about Adolf Hitler. They also found Lucan's ceremonial House of Lords robes hanging in the wardrobe."

Yesterday Mirror Online revealed, for the very first time, a photo of the murder weapon used by Lucan. The BBC documentaries feature the quest of Sandra Rivett's son Neil Berriman to find Lucan who he believes is alive, now 89, and living in Australia.