Comic Steve Coogan got into a spat over spitting as he enjoyed a mixed reception while filming in China.

The Hove-based star was in Beijing shooting Around The World In 80 Days and got into a row after objecting to one of the more unusual city habits.

Coogan, who plays adventurer Phileas Fogg in the upcoming film, said: "I was walking down the street when a local man spat at my feet. I didn't know what he was playing at so I confronted him and got in a bit of a scrape.

"Anyway, it turns out spitting on someone isn't considered rude in China because the old Communist leader Mao Tse Tung used to spit all the time. It took a bit of getting used to.

"At first I just thought they had found Alan Partridge unusually offensive in the Far East."

Coogan, who made his name playing the bumbling talk show host from Norwich, felt far more welcome later in the trip after being given a unique honour by the Chinese government.

He said: "I'm the first person ever to be filmed walking along the Great Wall of China. The government refused permission in the past because so many nomadic people live around the wall.

"They were all cleared out of the way but in the end it was just me and the crew. Who would have thought it, eh? Alan Partridge, first film star to conquer China."