How Jack Nicholson turned down a kiss from the mother-in-law for one with her daughter - while the helpless husband looked on

And so it proved when the 70-year-old rascal was asked for a kiss outside a London restaurant.

Phil Poulton told the Hollywood legend that his mother-in-law was Nicholson's biggest fan and would be thrilled to receive a smacker from him.

Scroll down for more...

Lady killer: The ever-charismatic Jack Nicholson works his magic on Lesley Poulton as they pucker up outside London restaurant The Wolseley on Tuesday night

It being 11.30pm and after copious refreshment, the veteran lothario was more than happy to oblige.

However the woman who then saw that infamous shark's grin descending on her was Mr Poulton's 38-year-old wife, Lesley, and not his 64-year-old mother-in-law Wendy.

"He just got hold of my wife and started snogging her," said Mr Poulton. "Everyone just collapsed laughing. I couldn't believe it."

Scroll down for more...

Not to be put off, Wendy then yelled out: "No Jack, I'm the mother-in-law."

Mr Poulton, a 39-year-old website designer from Swindon, said: "It was just such a fantastic moment.

"He stopped kissing my wife and turned his attention to Wendy. He lifted his sunglasses over his forehead and snogged her too.

"He just couldn't have been nicer about it. He was absolutely brilliant."

Scroll down for more...

Mad crush: Jack Nicholson signs autographs at the Leicester Square premiere of his new film The Bucket List last night

The Poulton party had been walking through the West End after attending an Elvis tribute show when they noticed a scrum of photographers outside the Wolseley restaurant in Piccadilly, and realised that Nicholson was the object of their attention.

Earlier the actor - in London for last night's premiere of his latest film The Bucket List - had to nip out of the Wolseley on at least four occasions to have a cigarette on the street. He is said to smoke at least 20 a day.

Scroll down for more...

'Don't miss me Jack!' Wendy with her daughter Lesley Poulton

Having left the restaurant, where one of his dinner companions was the artist Lucien Freud, he went on to Annabel's nightclub where he danced and drank until 3am before being driven back to his London base, Claridge's Hotel.

At a press conference yesterday, Jack Nicholson said the recent tragedy of Heath Ledger's death could be a warning about the dangers of certain sleeping pills.

Scroll down for more...

Fired up: Jack Nicholson stepped out for a nicotine fix during a night at The Wolseley in London on Tuesday night

Nicholson said he had taken Ambien - marketed in Britain as Zolpidem - and it had serious side effects.

"I warn people about Ambien," he said in London during a promotional visit for his latest film.

"I almost drove off a cliff once. I don't take sleeping pills but somebody said, 'take this, it's mild'.

"I got a call in the middle of the night, kind of an emergency, and I almost drove off a cliff 50 yards from my house. I live up in the mountains in Aspen. So it's something to warn people about."

Holding court: Jack steals the spotlight after touching down in London to promote his new film