Paul McCartney and Heather MillsThe Sunday Mirror is reporting that Paul McCartney has initiated the temporary split between him and his wife Heather Mills because of her temper.

A friend of the couple has revealed: “Heather has always bawled Paul out, basically walking all over him.”

“Paul has put up with it because he’s a kind, gentle human being. But something just snapped with Paul. He’s had enough of being treated like a doormat. He’s beaten up emotionally and just needed time out. So he just walked out.”

“It’s not the end - yet. Paul will go back to Heather because he adores her. But at the moment, he is having time out from her.”

“Paul’s very down about the whole situation. He’s a very sensitive, thoughtful bloke, so when she shouts at him a lot, he finds it soul-destroying.”

Another friend made similar comments: “Heather was stunned when Paul just went off on his own.”

“She has always had a temper and just thought it was another row that would quickly be forgotten. She has been left shattered that it didn’t turn out to be the case this time.”

“Heather is one of those people who can have a row and then forget about it in a second. But Paul is the opposite. The pressure of these rows has actually been building up in him for a long time, but he’s finally cracked.”

“Nobody knows what the last straw was.

“It might have been something that seemed insignificant to Heather, but just pushed Paul over the edge.”