Hollywood beauty CATHERINE ZETA-JONES is recovering from an attempt by Mexican bandits to kidnap her.

The OSCAR-winning star, 34, had her limousine ambushed by gunmen as she was retuning from the film set of LEGEND OF ZORRO to her rented villa in San Luis Potosi - four hours north of capital Mexico City.

A source tells British tabloid newspaper THE SUN, 'The gang were armed to the teeth. We were alerted and there was a chase between the police and four people who were armed.'

A film insider adds, 'Catherine has been left really badly shaken up by this.

'She has only been on set for a few days. She was very emotional afterwards and had to be calmed down.'

Zeta-Jones and her co-star ANTONIO BANDERAS have surrounded by massive security since arriving in the Central American country to shoot the sequel to the hit 1998 movie THE MASK OF ZORRO - as the place has a notoriously high kidnap rate.