Have you ever wanted to be like somebody else? Well, this can be a dangerous thing as St Albans-based comedian Bennett Arron found out to his cost when his identity was stolen 17 years ago.

Now, the multi-talented screenwriter, compère and stand-up comic has written a book based on his experience, entitled Heard the One About Identity Theft?

“My identity was stolen in 1998 – although it had been going on for a year and half before then without my knowing anything about it,“ explains the father-of-two, who was left penniless with his pregnant wife.

He went on to tour a comedy show about the experience, and in 2007 released a documentary proving how easy it is to fall prey to the crime – by stealing the former Home Secretary Charles Clarke’s identity.

South Wales-born Bennett says: “Stealing the identity of the Home Secretary was ridiculously easy. I first applied for a birth certificate and then, with that, applied for a driving licence. It was all done within a couple of weeks. I thought they were going to thank me for highlighting a loophole, but instead I was arrested in a dawn raid by Scotland Yard – which was incredibly scary and upsetting, although fun for my neighbours.” He was in custody for 12 hours and then released.

The documentary about his ordeal was BAFTA shortlisted the following year. “I was incredibly proud. As were my family.“ The book is the second he has published this year. The novel The Girl from the Discotheque received rave reviews from comedians Ricky Gervais, Jimmy Carr and David Baddiel.

It is a romantic comedy based around Bennett’s chance encounter – not with a woman at a disco, but with an intriguing poster in a phone box.

He explains: “I saw a sign in a phone box years ago where somebody had said: ’Are you the girl from this disco, wearing these clothes on this night’? I rang him – I was just curious to know his story and had he found her.“ Writing has been a passion of Bennett’s for more than 15 years, however he began his career as an actor.

He arrived in London as a young student fresh from the Welsh town of Port Talbot to study at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts, only to be advised straight away by his tutor to lose his accent.

Although he tried to fade out his Celtic lilt, Bennett decided to stay true to his roots – and it was lucky he did as his first acting role was as a young Welsh stable hand.

After acting school, his career took him into writing for sketch shows and sitcoms, such as Off Their Rockers, Hit the Road Jack and the BAFTA-winning V Graham Norton.

However, it was in 1997 Bennett decided to make his first foray into stand-up comedy, after watching his sitcom episodes on television.

He explains: “I got into comedy because I used to write for TV programmes, for people like Freddie Star.

“I remember watching some of it on TV and thinking it’s funnier than that, so I decided I would do it myself.“ And his comedy career unfolded from there, eventually leading to supporting Ricky Gervais on tour.

“My comedy is quite self deprecating,“ says the BBC Wales New Writer’s Award-winning comic, who acted alongside Michael Sheen in the 2006 comedy film Dead Long Enough.

He continues: “I talk a great deal about coming from a small village in South Wales. The fact that it is a small place – twinned with the planet Pluto – but with so many great characters it makes a wonderful source of material.

“I talk about when I first came to London and the experience I had then, the fact that I was quite a naive person from a very small village. It was all very fascinating. I was surrounded by people from major cities and it was very exciting.“

He now compères The Screaming Blue Murder Comedy Club in Hemel Hempstead, formerly a job done by actor and comedian Eddie Izzard.

“It’s a fun way to make a living , there’s nothing better than making people laugh,“ he says.

The Screaming Blue Murder Comedy Club, Old Town Hall Arts Centre, High Street, Hemel Hempstead, Monday, March 2, 8pm. Details: 01442 228091, oldtownhall.co.uk