Stan Lee, the public face of the Marvel film and comics empire, has responded to accusations in a UK tabloid that he sexually assaulted a number of nurses who had been hired to care for him.

The 95-year-old creator of such characters as Spider-Man and The Hulk is now being cared for at his home by nurses from a different agency who maintain that Mr Lee has been 'polite, kind and respectful' since they took over.

The allegations, which first appeared in the Daily Mail, have been rebutted by a statement from Mr Lee’s legal representative Tom Lalla, which reads:

“We are not aware of anyone filing a civil action, or reporting these issues to the police, which for any genuine claim would be the more appropriate way for it to be handled.

“Instead, Mr. Lee has received demands to pay money and threats that if he does not do so, the accuser will go to the media. Mr. Lee will not be extorted or blackmailed, and will pay no money to anyone because he has done absolutely nothing wrong.”

The allegations, which are not accompanied by any suggestion of criminal charges, come at a time when several high-profile men in the world of entertainment have been obliged to step down from jobs and film roles after allegations of sexual harassment and abuse were substantiated.