Ledger purchases DeGeneres' house

In a bid to escape the paparazzi's prying eyes, Heath Ledger and his partner Michelle Williams have bought a $2.3m (€1.8m) Hollywood house once owned by talkshow host Ellen DeGeneres.

But while the mansion - dubbed the Treehouse - is set back from the street, walled and gated, there is little doubt local photographers are familiar with the neighbourhood, which is home to Tinseltown's A-list.