Spears denies the fact of shooting a photographer near her house

Police will probe into the BB gun shooting of a photographer who was staking out Britney Spears over the weekend. Britney Spears and her security staff are denying knowledge of photographer Brad Diaz's pellet-gun shooting.

The paparazzi photographer said he was struck in the thigh by a pellet on Saturday outside the Malibu, California, mansion where the pregnant Toxic singer attended a baby shower thrown for her.

While police are investigating his complaint of misdemeanour battery, Spears' camp insists knowing nothing of the attack, Ireland Online reports.

Her publicist, Nicole King, says: "Britney didn't know anything about it. She had nothing to do with it."

Police say Diaz was treated with an adhesive bandage at the scene and describe his injury as insignificant. But they plan to reconstruct the incident and talk to everyone involved.

Such incidents usually draw little attention from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, but authorities say they were swamped with phone calls.

"Because of the media attention, we'll probably put this on the front burner to settle the whole thing," sheriff's Sgt. Robert Knudson was quoted as saying by Xinhua.

A detective will be assigned to the case Monday, authorities said.