Hackers yesterday attacked Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi’s biography page on popular internet encyclopaedia Wikipedia, making a few minor changes that were quickly amended later in the morning.

However, Wikipedia is not the most reliable source of information on the internet, thanks to an online editing facility that allows all those who browse the site to edit, delete and add any information they feel should be there.

Although most of the information provided in the biography was factual, one could read that Dr Gonzi’s favourite film is The Full Monty.

The website stated: “When asked if he’d ever consider performing a re-enactment of the famous scene he said: “I’d only do it if I lose an election, and the six would be: me, my brother, Mario (de Marco), Jeffrey (Pullicino Orlando), Jason (Micallef) and Eddie (Fenech Adami).”

Referring to the general elections, the website said that “in the general election held on 8 March 2008, Gonzi was again elected as Prime Minister, having defeated Alfred Sant 6-5 on penalties with his brother Michael Gonzi successfully converting the all important penalty.”

Wikipedia was set up in 2001 as a non-profit enterprise, designed to provide almost real-time biographies and a people’s version of history. With only a handful of full-time employees, the website relies on the near-1,000 enthusiasts to correct vandalism quickly.

Dr Gonzi is not the only politician whose Wikipedia biography has been targeted and “edited.” UK politicians such as John Prescott, the deputy prime minister, has his own antagonist who regularly insults him with such epithets as “fat bonehead” while former prime minister Tony Blair was briefly accused of having posters of Adolf Hitler on his bedroom wall as a teenager and of starting a “false” war against Saddam Hussein.

Dr Gonzi’s biography was later corrected.