Robbie pays fans for peace and quiet

Robbie Williams was happy to pay fellow diners so he wouldn't be hassled on a recent restaurant outing.

The singer wanted to take his friends out for a curry at a local establishment, but naturally faced the risk of being bombarded by fans all evening.

To get past the problem, Williams told the rest of the restaurant's customers that he would pay for their meals if they would leave him in peace.

One beneficiary commented: "We were all desperate to go up and speak to him, but everyone seemed to totally respect his wishes. Nobody minded though, because the final bill must have cost hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds."