A renowned Winston Churchill portrait has been stolen from a hotel in Canada – and replaced with a fake.

The photograph, known as the “Roaring Lion”, was taken by Yousuf Karsh in 1941 moments after Mr Churchill had given a speech to the Canadian parliament.

Police began an investigation into the heist after a member of staff at the Fairmont Château Laurier hotel in Ottawa noticed the frame on the picture did not match five other portraits in the room.

The pictures were all the work of the same photographer, who was known for a series of acclaimed portraits including of the Queen and Martin Luther King Jr.

Jerry Fielder, who oversees Mr Karsh’s estate, was contacted by the hotel about the signature on the “fake” portrait.

He told The Guardian: “I’ve seen that signature for 43 years. So it took me just one second to know that someone had tried to copy it. It was a fake.”

The hotel is home to a number of works by Mr Karsh and said it was “deeply saddened by this brazen act”.

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General manager Geneviève Dumas added: “The hotel is incredibly proud to house this stunning Karsh collection, which was securely installed in 1998.”

The issue with the portrait was first noticed on 19 August – it is not yet known when the picture was stolen.

The photo was snapped after Mr Churchill, who was with the Canadian prime minister, Mackenzie King, had entered the speaker’s chambers where Mr Karsh was waiting.

The photographer recalled how Mr Churchill would only allow a single picture – and how the British leader continued to “chomp vigorously at his cigar”.

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“I waited. Then I stepped toward him and, without premeditation, but ever so respectfully, I said, ‘forgive me, sir,’ and plucked the cigar out of his mouth,” said Mr Karsh.

“By the time I got back to my camera, he looked so belligerent he could have devoured me. It was at that instant that I took the photograph.”

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