A suspicious package has been found at a restaurant owned by Robert De Niro.

Robert De Niro

Robert De Niro

The 75-year-old actor - who has starred in hits such as 'Taxi Driver' and 'Raging Bull' - is the owner of the Tribeca Grill in New York City, where police confirmed a suspicious-looking package was sent to the eatery while it was empty.

The news comes shortly after it was revealed that suspected explosive devices were recently sent to top Democrats in the US, including former President Barack Obama and former Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, as well as the news network CNN.

If - as has been speculated - the package sent to the actor is linked to the incidents involving the politicians and CNN, it would be the ninth explosive device this week to have been sent to perceived critics of current US President Donald Trump.

De Niro has been repeatedly critical of the President during his time in office, calling Trump "a national disaster".

He previously said: "America is being run by a mad man. When he doesn't like what he hears, he dismisses it by saying it's un-American and damning and it's 'fake news', but we know the truth. All thinking people do know the truth.

"Your job is difficult enough without being attacked by our lowlife-in-chief, that's the new name I have for him. It was jerkoff-in-chief, now it's lowlife-in-chief."

Meanwhile, Trump hit out at the actor after De Niro - who played boxer Jake LaMotta in 'Raging Bull' - criticised him at the Tony Awards earlier this year.

Trump wrote on Twitter in June: "Robert De Niro, a very Low IQ individual, has received too many shots to the head by real boxers in movies. I watched him last night and truly believe he may be 'punch-drunk' (sic)"