Leomania hits town

Titanic star Leonardo DiCaprio was stunned by the hysterical reception he received from fans as he arrived for the London premiere of his new film, Gangs of New York.

DiCaprio and Daniel Day-Lewis led a cast of stars at the premiere of Martin Scorsese's violent epic at the Empire, Leicester Square.

As about 2,000 fans jostled to see or touch the stars, DiCaprio said he had never seen anything like it. "It left me dizzy," he said. "It was intense - but I suppose that's London for you. This has been the biggest crowd so far. We didn't get that in Paris or Berlin. It's absolutely freezing out there and the support is just unbelievable."

Oscar-winning British costar Day-Lewis took the chance to deny recent rumours he is set to retire from film, saying: "I've got no idea what I'm going to be doing in the future. I'm not retiring. It's just that as much as I enjoy making films, I enjoy spending time away from it all too."

Scorsese has been planning Gangs Of New York since 1970, and the 19th-century periodpiece is widely tipped for a swathe of Oscar nominations. British director Stephen Daldry, whose film The Hours is also a hot favourite, said: "Martin is one of the greatest directors of our time, so to be up against him in any competition is incredible."

British actor Jim Broadbent, who also stars in Scorsese's film, said: "He is close to a genius. To get that call to work with Scorsese is the big one. It's the stuff of fantasy and it more than outshone my fantasies."

Scorsese's decision to cast DiCaprio after the commercial failure of The Beach was seen by many as a risk - despite the international popularity of Titanic - but last night the director explained: "It was Robert De Niro who first told me about Leo when he was 16. He said Leo was really good and I should watch his work."

The reclusive Day-Lewis - who spent five years working as a cobbler before taking his latest role - echoed Scorsese, saying: "He's a great actor."

DiCaprio, 28, popped in to the lavish after-show party at Leicester Square nightclub Equinox, which was transformed into a recreation of 19th-century New York.

Other stars at the premiere included British actress Lucy Davenport - who plays a love interest in the epic - as well as TV presenter Denise Van Outen, DJ Goldie, Big Brother winner Kate Lawler and actor Edward Fox.