Batman star bailed over 'assault'

Batman star Christian Bale has been bailed by police after being questioned about allegations he assaulted his mother and sister.

The star, 34, was arrested and held for more than four hours after attending a London police station by appointment.

Mr Bale is alleged to have lashed out at his mother and sister in his suite at London's Dorchester Hotel on Sunday.

The actor, who denies the allegation, has been released on bail until September pending further inquiries.

The Welsh-born actor is in the UK to promote the latest Batman film, The Dark Knight.

"A 34-year-old man attended a police station in central London by appointment and was arrested in connection with an allegation of assault," a police spokesman said.

A statement released by Mr Bale's solicitors said the actor "co-operated throughout, gave his account in full of the events in question, and left the station without any charge".

"At this time, there will be no further comment by Mr Bale," the statement continued.

'Family matter'

The Hollywood star attended the European premiere of The Dark Knight last night in London's Leicester Square.

While he was being questioned at Belgravia police station, radio journalists were waiting to meet him at the Dorchester for interviews.

It had been reported that the assault allegation was originally filed at a police station in Hampshire.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman confirmed it had received an allegation from another force.

Mr Bale's sister Sharon, 40, shouted "it's a family matter" through a window when approached by reporters at her home in Corfe Mullen, near Wimborne, Dorset.

A man who answered the door at the home of his mother Jenny, 61, in Bournemouth, said she did not want to comment.

Mr Bale rose to fame as the child star of Steven Spielberg's Empire of the Sun.

He went on to play Patrick Bateman in American Psycho, and had leading roles in Shaft and Captain Corelli's Mandolin.

In 2005, he took on the role of the Caped Crusader in Batman Begins and reprised the role in The Dark Knight.

What a nice guy. It takes a real man to beat his mother

When I first saw this, I thought you were talking about Adam West; star of the Batman TV Series of the 60's and Mayor of Quahog on Family Guy

He still looks the same way.

ya fuck him i hope he dies and burn in hell... who in there right miind would hti a girl i hope he burns in hell and freakign rots

Kinda brings new meaning to the term, "Dark Knight"