Bill Murray lost his temper and threw two fans' phones off the roof of a restaurant in California, according to police.

The Hollywood actor was at the Vesuvio lounge in the upmarket seaside town of Carmel on Thursday night when the fracas is said to have occurred.

Murray apparently became irate because star-struck patrons were taking his photo.

Carmel police commander Paul Tomasi said: "At approximately 10.30pm last night police were called to a disturbance at Vesuvio restaurant.

"When we got there we had three people who were reporting that the subject, identified as Mr Murray, had taken their cell phones and thrown them.

"Two of the phones went off the top of the building and were lost. One of them landed on a cushion.

"This morning our officers contacted representatives of Mr Murray. He acknowledged that he was there and said he is willing to replace the property that was damaged."

The police commander said no further action will be taken since the owners of the phones do not wish to press charges.

He said they denied they were taking Murray's photo.

Mr Tomasi said singer Justin Timberlake was hosting a party at the venue that evening.

He also said it is not clear how the phones that Murray threw off the top of the single-storey building went missing.

The owners ran down to the street level but were told by witnesses that someone had pulled up in a car and taken the handsets, said Mr Tomasi.