The 'Alfie' actor lashed out at snapper Harsha Gopal as she tried to take his picture as he left London restaurant Automat in the early hours of yesterday morning (23.07.09).

Harsha said: "I still can't believe Jude Law actually hit me. It was deliberate, you could see it in his face.

"He hit me full in the face. It was a real stinger. I was very sore."

Harsha - who is seeking legal advice over whether to lodge an assault complaint with police - claims Jude attacked her after all the paparazzi had taken their shots.

She added: "He just came out and I took a couple of pictures. The next thing I know, suddenly this whack. He didn't apologise and it was completely unprovoked.

"One of the other photographers shouted out, 'Well done, Jude, you've just hit a girl.'

"He can't say that he was blinded by flashes because he hit me after we had taken our pictures."

However, Jude - who had spent the evening with Leonardo DiCaprio, Jay-Z and Michelle Williams - has rubbished Harsha's claims.

His lawyer Graham Shear stated: "This is all nonsense. The incident was an accident.

"Jude was blinded by the camera flashes when he left the restaurant, raised his hand to shield himself and inadvertently struck somebody standing very close. He apologised and left. Pictures of this sort can be misleading."