Sir Ian McKellen has admitted to being a little light-fingered on the set of The Hobbit and Lord Of The Rings.

The star, who portrayed wizard Gandalf in the big-screen adaptations of JRR Tolkien’s fantasy novels, admitted he helped himself to a stash of items after the New Zealand shoot wrapped.

“If you came to my house, you could have a look at Glamdring. You could put on Gandalf’s hat. And if you went to my pub next door, The Grapes, you can see Gandalf’s staff behind the bar,” he said.

“I’ve got some gold coins from Smaug’s lair. I’ve got the keys to Bag End. I’ve got some knives and forks.”

Sir Ian McKellen and Peter Jackson
Sir Ian McKellen and Peter Jackson (Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Sir Ian admitted he almost got caught by director Peter Jackson.

“I know Peter Jackson was saying, ‘We’ve lost the keys to Bag End’. And I had to keep very quiet,” he continued.

Sir Ian McKellen and Cate Blanchett
Sir Ian McKellen and Cate Blanchett (Ian West/PA)

The 75-year-old actor also revealed how he only met Cate Blanchett, who played Galadriel, on the set of The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies, despite them starring in all three Lord Of The Rings films together.

“In the very last scene of the Lord Of The Rings trilogy, Gandalf sails away with Galadriel and Frodo, and she wasn’t there [to shoot the scene]. So I never got to work with her,” he said.

“I met her – just once – at a party. But this time she came back with Hugo Weaving, from Australia, and we really bonded.”

The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies is available on DVD and Blu-ray on April 20.