The rise of the Flat-Earthers: a growing number of people - including England cricket legend Andrew and basketballer Shaquille O'Neal- think the earth is FLAT?

Among all the scientific questions that have fascinated Man over the centuries, surely there is one that is beyond debate. Planet Earth is round, not flat. The Ancient Greeks first discovered this fact in at least 200BC, if not 300 years earlier. The Renaissance astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus delivered solid mathematical proof in 1543. But the Flat-Earthers — a derogatory term used to denote people who are out of touch with the realities of modern life — are back on the march. Thanks to the internet, their numbers have grown to a size unparalleled since the Spanish Inquisition and, inevitably, celebrities are flocking to join. Last month, the former England cricketer, Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff (left), declared himself a Flat-Earth enthusiast, joining US basketballer Shaquille O'Neal.