If the road sign is anything to go by, the Sussex village of Wivelsfield appears to have moved a mile farther away from Lewes since the Fifties.

The mystery has been highlighted in two pictures taken in precisely the same spot, separated by 50 years.

Once the distance between the rural retreat and its big brother down south was eight miles. Now it is apparently nine.

Villagers are bemused by the mystery of the shift: Some blame Continental drift, others suggest meddling from Brussels while an MP has proposed the impact of inflation.

The enigma was spotted by villager David Gibbs and has set curious tongues wagging.

In the background of a historic photograph from the Wivelsfield Donkey Derby, he made out a sign reading "Lewes 8 miles".

A new sign in the same spot now reads "Lewes 9 miles".

Council chiefs have gone back to their maps to discover exactly what has happened.

Some politicians have raised a more Machiavellian possibility - they are being shunted further towards West Sussex, the county many in the village rely on for services.

A baffled Mr Gibbs, whose eight-year-old son Jack has also been drawn into the mystery, said: "I'd be interested to hear an official line."

The conundrum was taken up by Wivelsfield resident and chronicler Paul Welch, who writes for a parish newsletter.

After mentioning the enigma in his weekly column, letters flooded in from villagers keen to offer their theories.

Mr Welch said: "It's all tongue-in-cheek, though we've had great fun speculating.

"Subversive elements in the village have dared suggest it's an EU regulation requiring administrative centres to be as far away as possible from the areas they administer."

Martyn Long, chairman of Wivelsfield Parish Council, said: "It's a ploy to push us into West Sussex. It's a bit of a jape but I think there is a more serious underlying message.

"There was a referendum a few years back and it was decided Wivelsfield would stay in East Sussex but more and more we are relying on services such as libraries and rubbish dumps in West Sussex, where we feel we belong."

Lewes MP Norman Baker joked: "If it were an EU directive it would be in kilometres so I'd say the fact the distance has increased is linked to inflation."

Officers at East Sussex County Council are flummoxed.

A spokeswoman said: "Now this has been brought to our attention we will investigate but it would be helpful to see the photograph to see the exact location of the sign."