Celebrated French chef Yannick Alleno accused of harassment and violent behaviour

Staff at a top Paris restaurant, the prestigious Ledoyen on the Champs Elysees, have filed a complaint for "harassment" and violent behaviour against its star chef Yannick Alleno, a trade union said.

The celebrated 46-year-old dismissed the allegations as "lies" on Wednesday, saying in a statement that he was "deeply shocked" and intended "to defend his honour and set the record straight".

The restaurant received the ultimate accolade in top-level gastronomy in February, winning three coveted stars in the 2015 Michelin guide.

A CGT trade union source said several employees filed a suit in December at a labour relations court "after resigning or being fired" by Ledoyen.

"These are individual complaints for acts of violence and harassment" by Alleno and his second-in-command, Sebastien Lefort, the union said.

According to the francetvinfo website the incidents date back to July 2014, a week after Alleno took charge at Ledoyen. The website quoted a witness as saying the chef had grabbed one of the staff by the shoulder and kneed him in the thigh.