Mickey Rourke's agent slams death hoax

The Sin City star is the latest celebrity to fall victim to the morbid trend of online hoaxes which claim that a star has died in a snowboarding accident in Switzerland.

After the rumours hit the web, Rourke's agent David Unger had to tell a string of panicked callers that the actor was in fact very much alive.

He tells New York gossip column Page Six that the star is "very touched by the outpouring of concern, and is alive and well in Beverly Hills".

Unger adds: "I have been getting condolence calls from all over the world. But I can confirm Mickey is very alive."

Jim Carrey, Jeff Goldblum, Christian Slater and Sylvester Stallone have all been targets of sick hoaxes in recent years.