EVERYONE must imagine at some stage what fun it would be to have an identical twin.

Visions of fooling teachers, parents and friends springs to mind and the temptation to get up to mischief must be strong. But what if one of the twins in question was in the public arena?

This is the dilemma faced by Bowdon ward councillor Sean Anstee and twin Stephen, aged 21, who were born just one minute apart.

The twins, who grew up in Partington and attended Broadoak School, are mistaken for each other regularly but insisted they’ve never tried to pull a fast one on their teachers or other councillors.

Stephen, who is about to become a dad, said: “People always think I’m Sean and won’t believe me when I tell them otherwise! Sometimes I have no idea who is greeting me and then I realise it’s Sean they know.

“When people get to know us they can tell us apart but if we’re not together it’s tricky. Sometimes they just have to take our word for it!”

Physically there may not be much to call between the two, but Sean is a Manchester City fan and Stephen an ardent Manchester United supporter and not surprisingly this can lead to teasing and banter.

Sean, who like his brother works in a bank, said: “We’re close and we go to the pub together but if there’s a match on we sit in different parts of the pub!

“We’re also competitive with our jobs and that helps push each other on.”

The brothers said they have had different friends since they were at school and branched out further when Sean moved to Broadheath four years ago.

Sean, the youngest councillor in Trafford and the older of the two, said: “We’re individuals at the end of the day with different interests and personalities and there’s such a thing as spending too much time with one person!”

And what of swapping identities? “If I ever got caught speeding I could try and blame it on Sean,” Stephen joked.

Do you have a twin or any funny tales to tell about your siblings? Leave your comments below