George Clooney 'to sue French magazine Voici over paparazzi photos of twin children'

The magazine has defended its use of the long-lens images

The couple said they intend to sue (Reuters)

George Clooney has said he intends to sue a French magazine over “illegal” paparazzi photographs of his and Amal Clooney’s new twins.

The 56-year-old claimed the images of himself, Amal, a high-profile human rights lawyer, and their new children Ella and Alexander, had been taken by photographers who had scaled their fence and climbed a tree to obtain them.

The Paris-based magazine Voici published a series of photographs that showed the Clooneys carrying their children while at their Lake Como estate in Italy’s Lombardy region. Last month, representatives for the couple confirmed they had become parents after the twins were born in London.

The Clooneys say photographers scaled their fence (Getty)

“This morning Amal and George welcomed Ella and Alexander Clooney into their lives,” the Clooneys said in a statement at the time.

“Ella, Alexander and Amal are all healthy, happy and doing fine. George is sedated and should recover in a few days.

But now the couple now says their privacy has been illegally invaded and that the only valid response is legal action.

“Over the last week, photographers from Voici magazine scaled our fence, climbed our tree and illegally took pictures of of our infants inside our home. Make no mistake the photographers, the agency and the magazine will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” Clooney said in a statement to TMZ. “The safety of our children demands it.”

The magazine defended its actions and said the decision to run the images was based on the public’s affection for the couple.

“George and Amal Clooney have been very public personalities for the last few years. The birth of their twins, Ella and Alexander, has also been commented a lot, by themselves and their families,” the magazine said in a statement.

“The images published in Voici this Friday are a response to a public demand. People love George Clooney and have been following his life story for years now. Those pictures do not put in danger Mr Clooney, his wife or their kids.”