BEMUSED Lloyd Grey did not find it "beret" funny when jokers plastered posters up saying he was offering a cash reward for the return of a beloved hat.

Numerous posters were stuck up in High Wycombe proclaiming that 21-year-old Mr Grey was so distraught about losing his "best beret" that he was offering £100 to get it returned.

However, Mr Grey, of High Wycombe, said he was far from some beret-clad Frenchman and to cap it all the posters, which included a home and mobile phone number, had been pinned up outside his parents' house.

He said: "I woke up one morning and my dad had found a poster outside our house when he was walking the dog.

"The next minute I was going through High Wycombe and saw another poster outside the police station."

Mr Grey has received several phone calls asking him about the imaginary beret which the poster declares is of "sentimental value".

Mr Lloyd, said: "A bunch of women called me up asking me where I lived.

"A long time ago I owned a kind of Kangol-style hat and one guy used to take the mickey and call me Beret Boy so I think it is probably him although there could be a few people involved in it."