One James Bond fan was told he looked so much like one of the films' leading men, he decided to make a career out of it.

Nick Richmond was first compared to 007 star Sean Connery 30 years ago and has spent the last two decades working as a professional lookalike.

But the 65-year-old said his A-list doppelganger was far from complimentary when the pair met - with Mr Connery joking that he was an 'ugly b*****d'.

Scroll down for video

Seeing double: Nick Richmond, left, with Sean Connery when he met the actor while on holiday in Florida

Touch of Hollywood: The 65-year-old, centre, said he is still regularly booked to appear as the actor at events

Mr Richmond, from Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, said he is often approached for autographs and photos by mistaken fans.

The retired civil servant said his uncanny resemblance has even led to free hotel suites, flight upgrades - and the best tables in some of the world's best restaurants.

Mr Richmond said: 'Friends and family always told me I looked a bit like him.

'But when he appeared in The Name of the Rose, one of the first times he was properly filmed with a bald head and grey beard, people said I was the spitting image of him.

'It's funny because his first words to me when I met him were "you're an ugly b*****d".

'He's got a bit of a reputation for being grumpy but he was an absolute gentleman - it was great to chat with him and his sense of humour is brilliant.

Meeting Tony Blair, who supported an initiative that helped Mr Richmond set up his lookalike business

'He was filming Just Cause in Florida and I happened to be on holiday at the time so I went to meet him - it was a great experience.

'He'd actually heard of me before and knew that I had been working as his lookalike.

'It's all great fun and it's nice to know that he acknowledges that I'm doing it because I'm a big fan of his.'

One hotel in Mexico put me in the presidential suite for the night and I was driven around in a luxury Rolls Royce while we were there - I was treated like royalty Nick Richmond

Mr Richmond, who retired in 2010, set up his own lookalike business in 1995 with the help of a government initiative supported by former Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Since then, he has been driving Aston Martin supercars and jumping out of helicopters ever since in a bid to mimic the actor.

He said that while the action-packed stunts are now a little more difficult to manage, he still receives plenty of bookings to appear as Connery at events.

The Bond fan, who said Goldfinger was his favourite movie from the series, admitted he has enjoyed a number of perks as a lookalike.

He ssaid: 'It's definitely got me some good seats in restaurants - I've been very lucky in that sense.

'Restaurant owners in some of the world's biggest cities have sat me right by the window so people think Sean Connery is eating there - that's happened so many times.

'The best one was when I was waiting at Heathrow airport to go to New York about five years ago and a load of Japanese tourists thought I was James Bond.

A-list treatment: The Bond fan, pictured, who said Goldfinger was his favourite movie from the series, admitted he has enjoyed a number of perks as a lookalike - such as free hotel and flight upgrades

'They raced over to me and asked for pictures and autographs - which I did, but I always sign them as myself.

'A lady at the check-in desk asked me if I wanted an upgrade to first-class and I thought to myself, she must know I'm not Sean Connery, she's checked my passport.

'She said she knew, but that the other passengers on the plane didn't, so I was given a free upgrade to first class which was fantastic.'

Mr Richmond also revealed that he was given the star treatment while promoting an adventure park in Cancun, Mexico nine years ago.

He said: 'I was starring as Allan Quatermain from The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen to promote the Selvatica adventure park in Mexico in 2006.

'I spent 10 days there filming an advert for TV posing as Sean Connery and the man who booked me convinced the hotel owner where we were staying that I was the real deal.