Lily Allen is dating a 24-year-old painter and decorator from North London, it's been reported.

The Smile singer is believed to have known Cooper for a while, but the pair have only just begun dating properly recently.

A source said Allen wanted to see somebody who, unlike her previous partners, had no celebrity connections.

"Lil is tired of only ever being involved with well-known blokes,” the source told The Sun newspaper.

"She wanted to go out with someone her own age who isn't involved in music or the media.”

The source added that Copper was “really down to earth” and “grafts hard for a living as a painter and decorator and leads a totally normal life”.

The singer is said to be "totally smitten" with the painter.

Cooper is believed to have dined with the singer and artist Damien Hirst at Scott's in Mayfair on Tuesday.

But the painter went unnoticed when he arrived at the lavish restaurant because photographers didn't know who he was.

Allen's last high profile relationship was a short-lived romance with art mogul Jay Jopling.

Lily Allen in London