The paparazzi who follow Britney Spears have been infiltrated by members of the Los Angeles gangs the Crips and the Bloods, the New York Daily News reports.

Photo-agency heads say rival agencies are arming gang members with cameras and sending them out to compete for Britney snaps.

Veteran paparazzo Nick Stern, who quit the Splash agency this month, said: "I've heard stories of fights, of car tires being slashed, cars being blocked in."

All of the agency heads the News interviewed said they do not hire street thugs.

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"They may dress like gang members with large pants and tattoos, but to say they're gang members right now, well, real gang members are not into Britney Spears," said Frank Navarre, who owns the X17 agency.