A lifelong James Bond superfan has amassed the world’s largest collection of 007 memorabilia that he keeps in a secret lock-up - for his eyes only. Nick Bennett, 56, may have more than 18,000 pieces in his possession but admitted that even some of his family and closest friends don’t know about his “private” hobby. And his ever increasing hoard of incredible merchandise has been officially certified as a Guinness World Record, which he's so far held for seven years. The former landlord said his “fascination” with the fictional secret agent began when he was eight, but he only started collecting during the Piers Brosnan era, in his 30. Since then, he has accumulated Bond film props, toys, clothing and wallpaper - and he even has a fibreglass boat, used to promote ‘Live and Let Die in 1973. And Nick - who has also flown as far as Boston, Massachusetts, in the US to hunt for memorabilia - says he has no interest in winding down his confidential hobby. He said: “I will buy anything I haven’t got, as long as it’s affordable. “There are Bond LPs and Bond books and then there are the toys as well. So literally, anything you can think of is available for Bond. “In 2015, Guinness did a count, and we counted over 12,000 unique items. There were about 17-18,000 items [including duplicates] at the time, and since then, I’ve carried on collecting. “But some of my friends and family don’t even know I collect. It’s a private part of my life. It’s locked up on an industrial estate, and I’m happy for it to stay that way.” Nick, from Leigh, Gtr Manchester, said he first became interested in the Bond franchise when he went to see a double bill of Live and Let Die and Her Majesty’s Secret Service.