Has Daniel Radcliffe blown it?

Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe on Friday denied being a drug-user after pictures emerged of him allegedly smoking cannabis.

The actor, 20, was snapped on a mobile phone camera at a late-night party in London, appearing to giggle as he took a puff. A fellow reveller claimed Radcliffe was laughing and allegedly declaring he "loved weed" as he let a girl draw a comedy beard on his face.

The photos, with the banner headline "Harry Pothead", were published on Friday's Daily Mirror. But the screen idol acted to protect his cleancut image by "categorically" insisting he had not smoked anything other than tobacco.

Radcliffe's spokesman said: "Daniel does smoke the occasional roll-up cigarette, but he was not doing anything more than this.

"We are considering our position and will be taking all necessary action in relation to such allegations."

Last year the actor, worth £30 million (Dh184 million), declared: "I've been around some amazing people and still managed to keep a real childlike view of the world. I'm not into drugs."

Now, however, he faces the uncomfortable prospect of being quizzed about the pictures in interviews.

The row could also have financial repercussions for Radcliffe by affecting visa applications to work in the US as well as visits to his £2.5million (Dh15 million) flat in New York. He is reported to be in talks to star in a Broadway revival of the 1960s musical How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.

But strict admission rules could even lead to a ban if there was any credible evidence of him using illegal drugs.