Police probe Macca 'fracas'

Police were investigating a rumpus after Sir Paul McCartney and some friends visited the scene of illusionist David Blaine's stunt.

The millionaire musician fired his publicist, one of his closest aides, during the incident - then later dismissed the sacking as a joke.

Police are now making inquiries into an alleged scuffle with a photographer at the scene early Friday morning.

The former Beatle was upset after the photographer tried to take a picture of the star as he passed by Blaine's endurance test on the banks of the Thames in London.

Kevin Wheal, who was working for London's Evening Standard newspaper, claimed Sir Paul pushed him in the chest.

And when it emerged that long-standing publicist Geoff Baker had tipped off the photographer that Sir Paul would be there, the rock legend told him he was fired before storming off.

The argument between Sir Paul's companions and Mr Wheal continued and police stepped in at 1am this morning.

But Sir Paul was this afternoon playing down the incident as "a group of friends on a night out".

He had been dining in the Soho area of London with Mr Baker and some friends from the music business.

Afterwards they headed down to the river where Blaine is suspended from a crane in a plastic box, close to Tower Bridge. The US illusionist is aiming to spend 44 days without food in the bizarre stunt.

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