FOR fans of celebrity chef Jamie Oliver it could have been a dream come true.Over the past week, copies of what seemed to be Jamie's new and as yet unreleased cookbook have been arriving in the e-mail inboxes of hundreds of people.

FOR fans of celebrity chef Jamie Oliver it could have been a dream come true.

Over the past week, copies of what seemed to be Jamie's new and as yet unreleased cookbook have been arriving in the e-mail inboxes of hundreds of people.

The book, called 'The Naked Chef 2', even featured an official-looking front cover and boasted recipes ranging from chicken in milk to sushi rolls.

The rumour surrounding it was that a worker at the book's publishers had sent it out to a friend before it spread around the internet like wildfire.

But anyone hoping to have stumbled across the very latest recipes by the Essex-based chef will be disappointed – the e-mail is a hoax.

Its front cover is merely a copy of a previously released DVD, while the various recipes have been gathered from his earlier books and television shows.

Now Penguin Books, who published Jamie's hugely successful Naked Chef series, have promised to track down the person responsible for the fake 'book' with a view to prosecuting the culprit.

Jessica Ward, publicity director for Penguin Books, said they were first alerted to the scam last week.

She added: "We found out about it on Thursday, when we were first made aware of it by a member of the general public who was worried that Jamie might be losing out.

"We've been dealing with it for the last few days and can confirm that it is a hoax e-mail.

"Somebody has put together various versions of recipes from Jamie's previous books and television shows and has circulated it as material from his new book, which it is not."

Mrs Ward explained that Jamie, who owns a £350,000 mansion in Clavering, has no plans to release a new book until next year at the earliest.

She added that the celebrity chef is unlikely to lose out financially as a result of the internet prank.

Mrs Ward said: "Jamie Oliver, his management and Penguin Books are not unduly concerned about the commercial impact of this hoax because it does not involve new material.

"However, our legal department are investigating the copyright infringement and trying to source the e-mail, which will be difficult.

"We can't say whether anyone will be prosecuted as a result of our investigation, but we will vigorously look into any copyright issues."