Paparazzi: Nobody needs a star snap that badly

Canadian teenage pop star Justin Bieber (AP)

After years of escalating tension between stars and the paparazzi, the news that a photographer has been killed chasing Justin Bieber's car had an air of inevitability. Celebrities regularly accuse the snappers of dangerous pursuits and harassment of families, while routinely members of both parties claim to be the victim of verbal and physical assault.

The photographer, Chris Guerra, 29, was following the teenage pop star's Ferrari in Los Angeles on Tuesday when the sports car was pulled over by traffic police. The pap saw his chance, but was hit by another car. Grimly, the pictures he would have shot would have been of little interest as the Canadian singer had lent the vehicle to friends and wasn't even in the car at the time.

It's also a cautionary message to wannabe paps: if a star has bought a Ferrari, it's likely that at least one reason for it is that they don't want to be pursued.