BBC News Online: Entertainment

X-Men fans mob Stewart

The 60-year-old British star - Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the TV space series - arrived at the screening in London's Leicester Square with fiancée Wendy Neuss.

He was greeted by around 3,000 people, cheering and screaming, and was clearly touched by the welcome.

X-Men has been a huge summer hit in America, breaking box office records, and is now tipped to take the UK by storm.

The film is based on a popular Marvel comic. Stewart plays Charles Xavier, who leads a gang of mutants against his sworn enemy Erik Lehnsherr - played by Sir Ian McKellen - to try and save the human race.

Glamorous

Stewart was joined at the Odeon premiere by glamorous co-stars Halle Berry, Famke Janssen and Rebecca Romijin-Stamos, who all wore revealing outfits.

"It's great to be back here in London and get such a great reception," the US-based actor told reporters.

He added: "X-Men has been extraordinary - it had the best opening week for a non-sequel in the history of the world.

"There's such a huge fan base and there has been for over 30 years which made us very nervous, but I think they liked it."

X-Men opens for general release in the UK on Friday 18 August.