Robert Pattinson has spoken about the attention he gets from fans because of his role as vampire Edward Cullen in Twilight.

The 23-year-old British actor has become a household over the last twelve months and is regularly swamped by fans when in public.

He told the Daily Mirror he enjoyed meeting his young followers but was more hesitant when approached by older women.

“Most of the girls are all pretty young so it’s just kind of funny. But then you get the Twilight Mums who love you like mums,” he said.

“And you can take that too far. I mean, it could be ‘Edward breaks up Twilight family.’”

Pattinson also revealed that he is regularly asked to bite fans' necks.

“I have to tell them: ‘Look, I can’t I’m afraid, because it will hurt'. I’ve been uncomfortable in crowds my whole life," he said.

"I’ve always felt that everyone is looking at me.

“I could be in a supermarket and have a full-on panic attack when there’s no one else there. And this was even like five years ago, when nobody knew who I was.”

Pattinson is currently filming the third instalment of the Twilight Saga, Eclipse, in Vancouver.

Robert Pattinson meets his fans