Grant's French Retreat In Danger

British actor Hugh Grant's hopes of buying a luxury retreat off France's Cote d'Azur could be scuppered by locals who disapprove of his salubrious past.

The Notting Hill heart-throb has his heart set on buying a GBP13.3 million (GBP7 million) villa on the exclusive island of Ile St Marguerite - but the island's rich residents are concerned about the publicity Grant will generate and his infamous arrest for hiring a prostitute in 1995.

Grant is desperate to snap up the property so he can whisk new love JEMIMA KHAN away for romantic breaks.

Island resident Monsieur ELISEE VALLES says, "He might be good actor but he is best known in France for getting caught with a prostitute. When he visited he was charming and spoke perfect French and I don't want to take anything away from what he does on screen.

"But we're a small rural community here and we're not sure we want to be associated with that kind of thing. The locals are up in arms about it and are worried about him moving in."