Sick of people hijacking their fame, celebrities have banded behind Facebook as it initiates a purge of fake celebrity accounts.

The action by the social media network comes amid fears people could be libelled by creating the accounts, demonstrated by an exchange between a hoax Kate Winslet and Angelina Jolie.

The company has admitted it can be difficult tracking down the fakers, and its move comes as Winslet, fresh from her success at the Oscars, became the most impersonated star, with more accounts than Britney Spears and Barack Obama.

There has been a spat between Winslet and Jolie pretenders pre-Oscars, leading to a Winslet account being closed after account holder described Jolie as a fat-lipped crazy cow’.

This is not the first instance of celebrities’ accounts being used for sinister purposes.

Actress Lindsay Lohan has complained on MySpace that her account had been removed, while David Beckham’s LA Galaxy account has also reported to have been deleted – which is not surprising as he now plays for AC Milan.