Starr’s story should probably be taken with a pinch of salt, given that the pet-eating antics that prompted the legendary Sun headline in 1986 turned out to be a publicity stunt dreamt up by PR guru Max Clifford.

But now he says he drank Emery’s ashes, mistaking them for coffee.

Apparently it happened when Starr visited Fay Hillier, who was having a fling with Emery, pictured, at the time of his death from heart failure in 1983.

Fay, a showgirl, is said to have kept some of Emery's ashes in a Nescafe jar - but forgot to tell Starr. She said she was hiding them there because she took them after the funeral, to the anger of his family, and feared they would try to snatch them back.

An unnamed friend told The People: ‘It was a genuine mistake. But when he realised, Freddie made a huge guffaw and said, “Ooh, I am awful”. I'm sure Dick would have seen the funny side.’

Starr, 64, added: ‘I took a sip and nearly gagged. She took a sip, grimaced and said, “What's this?”

‘I told her I got it from the big jar and she replied, “Oh God - that's Dick”.’

How Starr could possibly mistake human ashes – which are grey-white – for dark brown coffee powder was not explained.

Starr, who hasn’t been on primetime TV for a decade, just happens to be touring from next month.

Earlier this year, Keith Richards said he snorted his father’s ashes, but later admitted it was a joke.