GEORGE CLOONEY DEFENDS BRITNEY SPEARS OVER HER RUN INS WITH PAPARAZZI

George Clooney has blamed the "criminal" paparazzi for Britney Spears running a red light.The 'Michael Clayton' star claims the troubled singer - who was videoed using her mobile phone and failing to stop her car at the traffic lights while her children were in the vehicle - is the victim of lawless "bounty hunters" trying to create a story. George - who was involved in a near-collision with paparazzi on Friday while riding his motorcycle in the Hollywood Hills - said: "You look at the footage of Britney running the red light - there are eight guys with cameras at night in the middle of the street. There are no rules now."It's getting to a point where people that are not involved are getting hurt. What they're doing is illegal, it's high speed chases and they're competing with each other."They're not trying to catch me doing something stupid, they're trying to create me doing something stupid. You don't get to break all these laws and then say, 'I'm just doing my job.' The guys that commit all these crimes are rewarded for it. It creates bounty hunters in a way."The 46-year-old actor also pleaded with paparazzi to curb their wild behaviour.He added to a US TV show: "Take your pictures but don't go 60 mph down a one-way street. Don't cause injury to people who aren't involved."Yesterday, it was revealed Britney's video - on which photographers can be heard shouting "Stop! Red light!" - had been entered as evidence in the custody battle between the 'Gimme More' singer and her ex-husband Kevin Federline over their sons Sean Preston, two, and 14-month-old Jayden James.

Editors Note: After all these years of not agreeing with Geroge Clooney, I have to say I must agree with him now. The paparazzi are out of control in California. You rarely see them act this way in New York City. It's these agencies that are basically hiring Bounty Hunters. Some are even hiring illegal aliens. Yes, they are. They stalk these stars day and night. In the old days we would get our shot and say thank you to the star and tell them to have a great night. Rarely did we have a chase unless the celebrity was so rude that we had to make a point. But I must admit that after Julia Roberts was so rude one day outside Gramacy Park, we gave her a chase in taxi cabs and followed her up a one way street, the wrong way. But she went up the one way street first. LOL.... At least her driver did. But at least Julia had the sense to have a driver like all celebrities did back in the day. What is wrong with Paris and Lindsay that they would even drive after a night of partying, and what is wrong with Britney who breaks the laws of the road all the time and even text messages while driving. Someone will die soon.