BANKSY collectors Ant and Dec are suing a top modern art dealer at the High Court, The Sun can reveal.
The telly favourites, who host shows including I’m A Celeb and Limitless Win, have lodged a lawsuit against Northern Ireland-based Andrew Lilley.
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His company boasts online about selling “Banksy prints that you just can’t get anywhere else”.
Court papers have been officially filed though the exact nature of the lawsuit is yet to be revealed.
The Geordie duo, both 49, have called in top London law firm Wedlake Bell, which specialises in dispute resolution and business litigation.
Using their full names, Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly are listed as claimants in the Chancery Division (Business List) case.
No date has been fixed for a first hearing before a judge.
The case has been filed under Part Eight of the Civil Procedure Rules, meaning the facts of the case are unlikely to be disputed.
Such claims are typically quicker to conclude than cases requiring a trial.
Art lover Ant was keen to hammer out a deal to keep his beloved Banksy paintings at his £6million Wimbledon home following his divorce from Lisa Armstrong.
He bought the pictures, which feature the mystery Bristol-based artist’s iconic rat with a placard, with Dec at a £1million exhibition of his work in 2009.
Mr Lilley, a “Contemporary Art Trader”, and Andrew Lilley Fine Art Limited are named as defendants.
Companies House records show Mr Lilley, of Lisburn, near Belfast, had nearly £2million of assets in his firm last year.
A business website claims the dealer has “helped clients from all over the world find the artwork that appeals to them”.
It adds: “Whether you are looking for the latest Banksy or a sought-after Andy Warhol original, we have the expertise and experience to track down the prints, photography or original artworks that are making such an impact on the art scene right now.”
And a company linked to Mr Lilley says online it is “proud to be the ‘Original Banksy Art Dealer’,” adding: “If there is a specific Banksy piece you are looking for, we can often find it for you.”
And it offers “a money back guarantee if you are not thrilled with your purchase”.
Mr Lilley, 55, declined to comment when approached by The Sun.
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