Actress Joan Collins was duped into thinking she had met the real Banksy – when in fact the man was just another actor.

Ms Collins was asked to host a dinner party for the painfully secretive graffiti artist from Bristol but he is much more elusive than she imagined.

It was revealed that the entire story was an elaborate hoax and an actor had been sent along in place of the world famous street artist.

The man she believed to be Banksy was actually actor Bryan Lawrence – who has featured in The Bill and adverts for the Corby Trouser Press.

The bizarre plot was dreamt up by former Conservative adviser Ivan Massow, who made and lost a fortune selling insurance to gay men, and a familiar face on the London social scene, who has known Ms Collins for 20 years.

According to the Mail on Sunday, he filmed the charade in the hope of hoodwinking a TV broadcaster into buying the footage, promoting it as the first time Banksy had revealed himself on camera.

Speaking after the ploy was uncovered, Ms Collins said: "I thought it was Banksy. I certainly thought it was. Am I surprised? Well, I still think it might be him."

During the party at the Oxfordshire estate, the bogus Banksy made proclamations about art, dismissing Tracey Emin's infamous 'unmade bed' work by saying: "That's not art, that's a thought."

Massow had originally intended to use the real Banksy in his film. The artist's spokesman confirmed they had been approached last year, but 'turned down his request'. Massow said: "I still think he might be Banksy. Prove it's not him."