Cherubic boy-child 'not a father after all'

British tabloids have reported that 13-year-old Alfie Patten is not the father of baby Maisie.

Reports have surfaced that the British boy who allegedly fathered a child aged just 12, is not, in fact, the father.

British tabloids reported that a DNA test showed Alfie Patten was not the father of his school friend Chantelle Stedman's baby girl.

The revelation was broken by The Mirror but has since been removed from its website - likely because a UK judge last month banned further reporting on the case there.

Last month, 13-year-old Alfie made international headlines when he claimed to be the father of Chantelle's baby, Maisie Roxanne.

Chantelle, 15, claimed that the couple had had unprotected sex just once when she missed taking her pill.

"We know we made a mistake but I wouldn't change it now," Chantelle was quoted by The Sun as saying at the time.

It soon became clear however that Alfie was not the only potential father. A handful of other boys came forward claiming to have also slept with Chantelle.

Alfie was said to be distraught at the claims he was not Maisie's father.

His mother Nicole told The Telegraph at the time: "He's absolutely devastated these lads have come forward to say they slept with her at the time she got pregnant... Alfie is distraught and upset about everything. But Maisie is fine."

However the Patten family agreed to a paternity test.

"I didn't know about DNA tests before, but Mum explained it's when they do a swab in your mouth and it tells you if you're the dad," Alfie told The Sun last month.

"So, if I have that, they can all shut up."

- NZ HERALD STAFF