McCartney denies he abused his wife

Paul McCartney has denied allegations that hewas violent towardHeather Mills McCartney during their four-year marriage.

Papers filed by Mills McCartney's lawyers with the High Court in response to his divorce petition and obtained by the Daily Mail show she accuses the former Beatleof violently attacking her.

Mills McCartney also alleges that he drank excessively andfrequently used illegal drugs.

The court filing describes incidents in which McCartney allegedly stabbed Mills in the arm with a broken wine glass, shoved her over a coffee table and grabbed her throat.

She also complains he asked her to cook dinner every night and asked her to defer an operation because it would interfere with holiday plans.

The ex-Beatledenied all the allegations on Wednesday after reports began appearing in the London newspapers.

McCartney's law firm, Payne Hicks Beach,issued a statement sayinghe will "vigorously" defend himself against allegations made by his estranged wife.

"Our client will be defending these allegations vigorously and appropriately," the law firm said.

McCartney has hired the law firm that represented Prince Charles in his divorce with Diana, Princess of Wales and McCartney Mills has hired the firm that acted for the princess.

'Intends to prove its truth'

Mills refused to comment on the leaked papers.

But her law firm, Mischon de Reya, said she "stands by everything that has been filed at court on her behalf and intends to prove its truth in due course."

McCartney andhis wifeannounced their separation in May andthe former Beatlefiled for divorce in July, citing "unreasonable behaviour." They have one child, Beatrice, aged two.

The couple met in 1999 throughHeather'swork for her charity, launched after she lost a leg in a motorbike accident in 1993. They married in 2002.

McCartney is reported to be worried about his public image during the divorce proceedings and has been generous with some of the charities Mills supported, including giving$3.4 million to Adopt-a-Minefield after cancelling a fundraiser they had planned together.

He has postedmessages on his website discrediting "inaccurate stories" and the "malicious spreading of rumours and made-up facts" since their separation.