STREWTH! An East Lancashire museum worker has been inundated with e-mails from all over the world - because he shares a name with a famous crocodile hunter!

But Steve Irwin, who works at Blackburn Museum in Museum Street, said he enjoys being mistaken for his Australian namesake.

The e-mails first started arriving when Steve took a part time job with the North West Museums, Libraries and Archives Council. He was given a new e-mail address which started steve.irwin and the messages soon started to flood in.

Steve, 45, explained: "It started a about six months ago after I'd been at my new job for a couple of months.

"I keep getting e-mails, mainly from children, asking how they can get started in crocodile management."

But far from snapping at the senders Steve, who lives in Bolton, sends back a reply.

He added: "I don't just trash the e-mails. I always explain that I am Steve Irwin, but I'm afraid I only work in a museum in the North West of England."

Australia's Steve Irwin is now one of television's most famous faces and his enthusiastic approach to wildlife made him a world wide hit.

A series of television documentaries showing Steve wrestling with crocodiles and grappling snakes thrilled audiences and his life story was recently made into a film.

However, recently he was censured for dangling his baby son Bob near the open jaws of a crocodile and forced to make an apology to his millions of fans.

Despite that incident the e-mails are still giving Steve's colleagues at the museum a good laugh.

He added: "After the latest episode where Steve dangled his son near a crocodile they assumed I would be flooded with angry e-mails. Fortunately I haven't had one."

Although Steve shares his name with the crocodile hunter he has never been a fan. He added: "I've never seen his programme but I did see his photograph in the paper."