Heath Ledger dad hoaxer could be British

The cruel hoaxer who has been pretending to be Heath Ledger's grieving dad could be BRITISH.

Friends of the dead star were horrified when a man claiming to be dad Kim Ledger started calling people looking for free flights and hotels - and managed to get one-on-one chats with superstars like Tom Cruise and John Travolta.

Now the investigation could turn to the UK after it emerged the imposter has been leaving a British mobile phone number when making his hoax calls.

The hoaxer - said to be clearly putting on a fake Australian accent - said he was on a British number when he rang one of the late actor's best friends, Lance Reynolds.

Reynolds, a movie producer who had known the 'Brokeback Mountain' star for 10 years, said he was furious over the cruel hoax. "If this wasn't heartbreaking enough, this just really takes your breath away," Reynolds said.

He received a phone call from a man who purported to be Kim Ledger on Friday night. "It's been a couple of years since I spoke to Kim, and I assumed it was him because he was so grief-stricken," Reynolds said. "In hindsight, it didn't sound like him."

And the faker also subtly probed him for contact information of mutual friends.

The hoaxer - who tricked Tom Cruise into consoling him over the phone and is still at large - spoke with a convincing Australian accent, said Reynolds, an Australian himself. "I really want you to come to the funeral," the phony told him.

It was when Renolds promised that he would call back that he was given the UK mobile number, which was never answered.

By Lee Brown, Feb 01 2008 © Copyright 2008 - Showbiz Spy