This is the first grainy image of the man who would be Francis Rossi.

For months dry stone wall builder Graham Tumber, a former New Romney firefighter, posed as the lead singer of international rock band Status Quo.

Now the real star has spoken out on his deception.

Francis Rossi was impressed by the man who told a Dover Town councillor he would give a spectacular performance to end the Festival of Dover with his pals Paul McCartney and Brian May of Queen.

~Read the original story here>>>

He got Vic Matcham, 67, of River, Dover, to wine and dine him and even got a couple of trips in the mayoral car.

Rossi said: “You have got to give the guy his due for foxing everybody and he does not look remotely like me.

“I think it's a bit sad because there must be many more interesting, handsome and important people on the planet to impersonate.

~Listen: Francis Rossi tells how his doppelganger is not quite an exact match - and how he is considering cutting off his ponytail!>>>

“We want him to come to one of our shows to have a picture of him. He has so much front.

“When he said he had arthritis that made me laugh, because I thought it was such a great excuse. People think oh well, he is old, so it makes sense.

“All these things are fantastic lies. I would not have thought of them.”

Mr Tumber, who called himself Graham as an alleged cover to keep himself incognito, is thought to have lived in the Romney Marsh area before moving to St Margaret’s Bay.

Before leaving Dover it is understood he worked as a retained firefighter.

Rossi said he is used to travelling to Dover himself.

“Dover is the way we get across to Europe because I do not like flying any more” said Rossi.

“Anyone who knows me knows I would never go in a mayoral limo or go to council events because I do not like to draw attention to myself.

“To fool so many people in a town like Dover is pretty impressive.”