Batman star Christian Bale is refusing to talk about the recent assault allegations that have affected his promotional trip of his film The Dark Knight and has urged the media to "respect his privacy".

Bale, 34, was arrested in London over accusations that he attacked his mother Jenny and sister Sharon at the capital's Dorchester Hotel on Sunday night. He was arrested and questioned by police over the incident and was subsequently released on bail.

The actor has now spoken out about the matter, but only to ask the press to leave the case alone.

He said, "It's a deeply personal matter. I would ask you to respect my privacy in the matter."