New 'real' Lara Croft

Eidos Interactive have announced the appointment of Lara Weller as the new official Lara Croft look-a-like. The 24-year-old professional model will make her first appearance as Lara Croft at the Electronic Entertainment Exhibition (E3) in Los Angeles next week.

"It's taken a while to sink in that I will actually represent Lara Croft, but the more I think about it, the more excited I get about the whole idea," said, erm, Lara. "It's actually quite amazing since in the past people have mentioned that I remind them of the Tomb Raider girl." Honest.

At 5ft 8" and measuring 34c-24-34, Lara Weller's vital statistics reflect those of her digital counterpart. She has dark brown hair and brown eyes and with four years experience as a lingerie and swimwear model plus an interest in archaeology and ancient history, she is an ideal body-double.

Core Design are currently working on the fourth game in the Tomb Raider series. Their former Lara impersonator, Nell McAndrew, is happy to be moving on. "It's been a brilliant experience travelling the world as Lara, but it's time to hang up my Uzi and do something different. I had a meeting with the people at Eidos, who produce the game, and we decided that I would be released from my contract and allowed to pursue other interests," she said.

At this time, the 'other interests' seem to include a career in soft porn, with rumours spreading about Nell's centrefold appearance in Playboy, due out at the end of May. Lara nude at last!

Maybe now would be the right time for Eidos to announce who will play Lara in the forthcoming movie. How about Traci Lords?