Ex Hartlepool MP Mandelson pictured with Epstein and Andrew

The undated photograph has been unearthed as part of the US department of justice’s Epstein-related document dump earlier this year.

According to ITV News, which first reported the image, it was taken between 1999 to 2000 – the time when Mandelson was MP for Hartlepool.

In it the King’s disgraced brother Andrew, and Lord Mandelson appear to be sitting outside at a wooden table and have mugs with a US flag on them in front of them.

Handout document issued by the US Department of Justice which shows, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor (left) and Lord Peter Mandelson pictured in bathrobes alongside paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein (centre). (Image: US Department of Justice/PA Wire)

The broadcaster said the picture was taken in Martha’s Vineyard – an island in Massachusetts.

It is also believed to be the first photograph of the two men with Epstein that has been uncovered.

Both men are wearing white bathrobes, in an image that bears a resemblance to one previously discovered of Lord Mandelson, which could be seen in Epstein’s “birthday book”.

The birthday book image of Lord Mandelson, which also shows him in a bathrobe, is accompanied by a message in which he describes the disgraced financier as his “best pal”.

Andrew, the former Duke of York, and Lord Mandelson have been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office over their connections with the paedophile and have both since been released under investigation.

Both men feature a number of times in the so-called Epstein files, including images of Andrew bent over an unidentified female and lying across the laps of a number of women.

Images of Lord Mandelson receiving a foot massage and others of him standing in his underwear have also been published by the US Department of Justice.

Both Andrew and Lord Mandelson have denied any wrongdoing over their association with Epstein.

This latest revelation comes just weeks after The Northern Echo reported that Mandelson signed off as Hartlepool’s MP and referenced the North East in a number of emails written to Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein.

In total, Hartlepool is mentioned 22 times in the Epstein Files, many being from Mandelson’s email signatures.

Lord Peter Mandelson.

Documents dating back to the early 2000s show that Mandelson was communicating with Epstein and Maxwell during his time in office, signing off as the ‘Member of Parliament for Hartlepool’.

One record comes from 2002, where Mandelson confessed to ‘G. Max’ (understood to be Ghislaine Maxwell), that he was feeling “so low”, adding “missing you”.

In another exchange, which appears to be with Maxwell on March 31, 2003, Mandelson says he would “quite like to be in NY”, believed to be New York, for some “chill out time…”.

He then says he “needs to get to Hartlepool” for a trip to take his mother to dinner, adding “much love” and signed off as the town’s MP.

A few weeks later, Mandelson has another exchange with Maxwell, saying “love Petey”, again with his MP sign off.

Some years later, on March 12, 2010, in an email to Jeffrey Epstein, Mandelson told of being awarded the Freedom of the Borough of Hartlepool that day.

He wrote: “I am in north east – freeman of borough of Hartlepool – now going to north east..will call (sic).”

Mandelson was stripped on the Freedom of Hartlepool last year after details emerged over his close relationship with the paedophile financier.

The exchange came after Epstein was convicted of soliciting a child for prostitution two years prior.