GEORGE CLOONEY - CLOONEY TURNS PIRATE TO FIGHT THE PAPARAZZI

GEORGE CLOONEY turned pirate captain on Lake Como, Italy, when the paparazzi swarmed around his getaway villa - by bombing them with water balloons.

The INTOLERABLE CRUELTY star spent much of the summer relaxing in Italy, but still couldn't get away from snappers who camped out on the lake near his home, so he decided to make their lives hell.

He explains, "All my friends brought their kids out and we had about 15 kids and we'd ride around in the boats. I got pirate hats for all the kids and we'd spend the morning filling up water balloons and then we'd chase the paparazzi out and all the kids would jump up an go, 'Argh,' like pirates.

"They actually called the police, but when they saw a picture of a kid with a water balloon it's difficult for them to do anything."