THERE'S more to worry about in the Paltrow/Martin/baby Apple household than dirty nappies and sleepless nights. All those pesky photographers want a snap of the beaming, buggy-pushing parents as well.

Dad Chris Martin and mum Gwyneth Paltrow seem to have taken different approaches to dealing with the snappers laying siege to their New York home.

The Coldplay frontman was spotted making his way home the other day in full undercover mode, hood up, eyes down, pushing little Apple.

Seeing a couple of photographers near his home in Manhattan's trendy West Village, he took a nifty U-turn, taking the long way home.

His wife Gwynnie, on the other hand, seems to have come up with a different approach. Keep the enemy close. A couple of photographers spotted her out with the baby, and instead of kicking, spitting, shouting or running, like so many celebs, she tried talking.

''We basically started walking down the street shooting her from a distance and after a few blocks she decided to call us over to talk,'' says photographer David Bodrick.

''She says that her husband is fed up with the situation and she wanted to know what she can do to avoid the photographers from sitting on her doorstep so her husband won't get in an altercation with one,'' he says.

Her plan seems to be that, if she lets the snappers get their shot, the value of the pictures will come down, meaning they are followed less.

Anything to keep the paparazzi away from Martin is a good idea. He's known not to take too kindly to being snapped unless it's on his terms.

Meanwhile, doting mum Paltrow says in her first interview since the birth of Apple: ''It's the best thing that's ever happened to me by far.''

Holiday watch: the sun is out and the rich and famous are hitting the exclusive East Coast resorts.

Among them is Natalie Portman, the 23-year-old Star Wars actress, who seems to be a little on edge.

A French student was sitting outside her holiday pad on Long Island waiting for a friend when he was spotted from inside the house. She's famous. He's outside her house. Must be a stalker, right?

Well, no, and he'd never even heard of Natalie Portman, who played Senator Padm Amidala in the second Star Wars prequel.

So that's exactly what 21-year-old Antwone LeGarde told the officers who were called out to extinguish the threat.

''One of the officers said, 'Natalie Portman called because she was afraid you were a stalker','' the Frenchman reportedly said. ''The name didn't register with me. Then they went to my girlfriend's parents house to see if I was telling the truth.

''I found it a little excessive, but I guess it's a good story to tell my friends.''

* Arifa Akbar is away