Clooney the Fairy Godfather

Hollywood star George Clooney is playing fairy godfather to an Italian family and renovating a house for them to live in.

The Ocean's Twelve actor, who has a home in Lake Como, Italy, has developed a good friendship with the family and decided to help them out when some property on his road went on the market.

He says: "I'm fixing up a couple of houses next door for a family. They're staying at my place at the moment.

"They're great cooks. They've got a 12-year-old kid and I want them to have a place where they can bring all their friends."