A cheeky Medway painter glued one of his creations to a wall at the Tate Modern - next to the work of an artist whose pieces fetch up to £39 million.

Paul Hayward , 54, went to the London gallery with his son, also Paul.

Security guards did not spot his impromptu hanging, until the picture slipped off.

Mr Hayward, from Miller Way, Wainscott, said: "We took one of my paintings and got past all the bag searches and hung it next to this painting.

"Two or three security guards walked past it and didn't notice so we took a photo of it."

The artist hung his picture alongside Kazimir Malevich's Dynamic Suprematism.

A Malevich painting sold for $60 million at Sotheby's.

It broke his previous record, set in 2000, as the most expensive Russian work of art, which sold for $17 million.

Mr Hayward, who is self-taught, added: "It made me proud that people were looking at my picture next to that famous one.

"We watched it there for just over 15 minutes until the glue wore off and it fell from the wall on to the floor.

"Three security guards rushed in and picked it up and were panicking and I then went over and said it was mine."

My Hayward was told he was not allowed to hang his own pictures in the gallery but was complimented on his work. He was then allowed to leave.

A spokesman for Tate Modern, said: "At approximately 4.30pm on Saturday, July 24, two members of the public placed a small object on the wall of one of the galleries at Tate Modern.

"The object was removed a few minutes later.

"Tate takes very seriously any matter which has an impact on the care of the National Collection, which is at the heart of all we do.

"We cannot discuss our security arrangements."