Barack Obama released his own birth certificate yesterday to crush rumours he was born outside America.

The President has been targeted by “birther” campaigners who claimed he was born in the father’s native Kenya or Indonesia – making him ineligible to be leader. Handing out photocopies of the “long-form” certificate at the White House, Mr Obama said: “We do not have time for this kind of silliness. We’ve got better stuff to do. I’ve got better stuff to do.

“This issue has been going on for two and a half years now and I have to say that I have watched with bemusement.”

In 2008 he released a “certification of live birth” showing he was born in the state of Hawaii but the claims continued. They were recently revived by tycoon and Republican candidate Donald Trump, while a poll showed 38% of voters did not think the President was born in the US.

The certificate says Barack Hussein Obama II was born at 7.24pm, on August 4 1961 in Honolulu. His dad is registered as Barack Hussein Obama, 25, an African born in Kenya, while his mum Ann Dunham Obama, then 18, is described as Caucasian and born in Wichita, Kansas.

After the document was released Mr Trump said: “He should have done it a long time ago. I am really honoured to play such a big role in hopefully getting rid of this issue.”