McLaren driver Lewis, 26, says the X Factor supremo is one of the key reasons that his four-year romance with Nicole Scherzinger hit the skids.

Lewis Hamilton and Nicole Scherzinger (Pic:PA)

IT’S just as well Simon Cowell likes fast cars – he might need to speed off sharpish if F1 race ace Lewis Hamilton claps eyes on him...

McLaren driver Lewis, 26, says the X Factor supremo is one of the key reasons that his four-year romance with Nicole Scherzinger hit the skids.

He reckons 52-year-old Cowell’s decision to offer Nicole, 33, a judging job on X Factor USA – replacing Cheryl Cole – put “immeasurable strain” on the couple’s relationship.

Lewis has been tied up on the Grand Prix circuit while former Pussycat Doll singer Nicole’s own hectic schedule has prevented her from spending time with him on race days.

It means they have barely seen one another in person since May.

Concerned by both their hectic lifestyles, Lewis is understood to have decided they needed a break – as I revealed on Monday.

Last night, a source close to the couple confirmed: “Lewis and Nicole have been having problems for the past six weeks.

“Increasingly hectic schedules this year have meant limited face-to-face time.

“They’ve probably spent more time on the phone or on Skype than they have in person.

“Sadly, Nicole’s job on X Factor USA – which, professionally, has been an unmitigated success – appears to have come at the cost of her relationship.

“Nicole was under enormous pressure to succeed and was desperate to please Simon, her boss.

“But Lewis found their intense working relationship hard to contend with.

“This, plus Lewis’s crazy international jet-set lifestyle, put immeasurable strain on the pair.

“She was crushed and did everything she could to make it work. They are still good friends though and the break-up is all very amicable.”

Multi-millionaire Lewis, who was said to be in a “vile mood” after last weekend’s Korean Grand Prix, recently said he was a long way off wanting to start a family.

Meanwhile, Nicole has become friends with host Steve Jones, who is said to have a crush on her.

Last night, a spokesman for the couple declined to comment.

Enabling drug addicts

 

Recently, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of Vancouver’s Insite program, where addicts can “fix” in a “safe” environment.   As a result of this ruling, other Canadian cities may follow suit, to the delight of some and the significant uneasiness of others. So as not to be close-minded about the idea, a friend of mine suggested maybe Ottawa should be next in line for an Insite, and proposed an ideal location: an underused spacious building in the Ottawa city core on Wellington Street where Insite could be opened on the same floor as offices that are in temporary use. The building is called the Supreme Court of Canada. This way, our cabal of esteemed justices can experience first-hand the profoundly beneficial societal effects of their latest decision. Wishful thinking, no doubt. Most of us realize the next Insite will be in some neighbourhood far removed from the environs of the Supreme Court offices. The true and practical repercussions on a community will no doubt be some average working stiff’s problem. Like it or not, addicts are responsible for inordinate amounts of crime. Any recovered addict will openly tell you, drug addiction dehumanizes to the point where there is no concern for oneself, and thus no empathy or concern for anyone else. The only purpose and urge is to obtain the next fix, the next high, through any means necessary. It doesn’t matter who gets hurt. This very point is made every day in courtrooms across this country, in support of leniency for those claiming to be under the influence of various chemical intoxicants when committing their crimes. Insite, and programs like it, enables addicts to fix more frequently in an environment that protects from arrest, ensures medical treatment will be on hand to deal with overdose, and provide the necessary mechanics to inject (needles, etc.). The program reduces negative consequence to extremely dangerous behaviour and it becomes much more comfortable to be an addict. Does anyone seriously think this will somehow cause addicts to surrender their addictions? Hardly. We intuitively understand addictions will be attenuated. The only thing accomplished is fostering an environment that implies a societal acceptance of drug addiction. Addicts are now more comfortably able to destroy themselves by degrees. If this is where we are headed, why not just remove the middle man and have taxpayers supply the drugs, too? I seriously wonder if this isn’t the ultimate goal. Most recovering addicts I have spoken to only changed because they had finally realized there was no lower to go: it was rehab or death. Given the limited resources in these challenging economic times, why not use our funds to create greater rehab opportunities? Funding true rehabilitation seems to me to be an altogether better idea, benefitting both society and addict. In the meanwhile, we’re left to wonder where the next Insite will arrive, thanks to the ruling of judges that will never get anywhere near being confronted by the street level consequences of their decision.

Eminem talks addiction, says 'The bigger the crowd, the bigger my habit got'

Eminem hasn’t exactly avoided the topic of his relationship with a variety of illicit chemicals. After all, his last two albums were calledRelapse and Recovery. But the man born Marshall Mathers has rarely been as candid about his struggles with addiction in the press.

In the pages of GQ, where he was named a “God of Rock” next to the likes of Keith Richards and Robert Plant, Em let the world know exactly why he is so prone to addiction. “I’m very much a creature of habit,” he told GQ. “If I’m used to waking up in the morning and having [a Red Bull], I could do it every morning for the next ten years straight until I find something else to move on to. So if I’m used to taking a Vicodin when I wake up in the morning because I’m hungover from ­drinking or taking pills … The bigger the crowd, the bigger my habit got.”

Eminem also explained that his drug problems could be traced over the course of his discography, noting that The Slim Shady LP was written almost entirely sober, the dark experiments on The Marshall Mathers LP were the result of more experimentation with substances, and Encore was hampered both artistically and practically thanks to his addiction to prescription medication (including Valium and Ambien).

After a failed stint in rehab (“Every addict in rehab feels like everyone’s staring at them. With me? Everyone was staring at me”), he had a traumatic overdose experience and finally made the decision to get clean when he realized he was killing himself. “I had a feeling in my arm that was weird, man,” he said. “Like, it really freaked me out. So I went to some people I trust and said, ‘Look, I know I need help. I’m ready now.’ I got a room in the same hospital where I overdosed, and I detoxed.”

His revelations fueled Recovery, which returned him to the top of the sales mountain and ranks among his finest work. The most revealing part of the interview involves his moment of clarity. “Sometimes [sobriety] sucks, and I wish I was wired like a regular person and could go have a f—in’ drink,” he told GQ. “But that’s the biggest thing about addiction: When you realize that you cannot f— around with nothing ever again. I never understood when people would say it’s a disease. Like, ‘Stop it, d—head. It’s not a disease!’ But I finally realized it really is.”

It’s refreshing to hear a star as huge as Eminem talking about his drug woes so frankly. And it’s refreshing to know that the reason why Encore is such a mess is because Ambien, as he puts it, was “[eating] a hole through my brain.” That certain explains this.

What do you think of Eminem’s thoughts on addiction? Where do you rank Recovery in his discography? Sound off in the comments!

 

Celebrities and millionaires living on one of Britain’s most exclusive estates have become the targets of a crime wave.

Celebrities and millionaires living on one of Britain’s most exclusive estates have become the targets of a crime wave.

A diplomat’s wife and son became the latest victims after they were tied up and held at gunpoint during a £100,000 robbery.

St George’s Hill in Surrey has been dubbed the British ‘Beverly Hills’ and is home to Russian oil tycoons, hedge fund managers and City financiers.

Exclusive: The St George's Hill estate in Surrey has been hit by a crime wave in recent months. It lists oil tycoons and hedge fund managers among its residents

Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty and Chelsea footballer Didier Drogba are also residents.

The estate is hidden behind security gates and guarded around the clock by security guards and CCTV cameras.

But that has failed to protect the residents from falling foul of a string of crimes since April.

Police have warned them to be on their guard after the latest incident last month was a gunpoint £100,000 robbery in which a diplomat’s wife and son were tied up.

One resident said homeowners, who paid up to £10million for the privilege, are ‘living in fear’ of becoming the next victim.

The neighbourhood, a favourite with Russian oil tycoons, hedge fund traders and City financiers, has been dubbed the British ‘Beverley Hills’.

Among the high-profile names to own a home there are Dragons’ Den star Theo Paphitis, Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty and Chelsea footballer Didier Drogba.

Other include Scottish TV actress Hannah Gordon, former Chelsea player Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and the BSkyB chief executive Jeremy Darroch.

While former residents on the 420-home estate include Ringo Starr, Kate Winslet, Cliff Richard, Jenson Button and Sir Elton John.

Surrey Police admitted the tranquil Weybridge neighbourhood, known as ‘The Hill’ to locals, has been hit by a string of crimes since April.

Celebrity residents: Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty and Chelsea striker Didier Drogba are among the people who live in St George's Hill, Surrey

They included two violent robberies, a burglary, two thefts, the theft of a car, vandalism and a violent attack.

Detectives are still hunting the masked gunman behind the terrifying robbery where the victims were tied up and threatened with a sawn-off shotgun.

The woman, aged in her 30s, and her teenage son escaped unhurt as he made off with cash and jewellery worth £100,000.

Police suspect their attacker may have had an accomplice in a car outside but the pair managed to dodge security on the estate.

One local, who did not want to be named, said all householders had been warned about the recent crimes and been told to ‘be vigilant’.

He said: ‘There has been a lot of talk about the crime rate in the past six months.

‘Although it might not seem particularly high compared to most of the country, the simple fact is that people pay a lot of money to live here and do not expect to be living in fear.

‘There are private security guards, CCTV cameras, barriers and all sorts, so this kind of thing is very out of the ordinary for people who live here.

‘We have been told to be vigilant and to report any suspicious behaviour to the police and to the security team here.’

Elmbridge councillor Peter Harman said: ‘They’ve got their own security on the estate and they have cameras that monitor traffic going in and out, and all the cars are recorded, so it should be easy to trace people.’

The residents’ association boasts it is a ‘unique location’ for successful high achievers looking for a ‘secure and private location.’

Each house is required to have ‘at least’ one acre of land and boundaries cannot be marked by fences or walls, only hedges and bushes.

The 964-acre estate boasts its own golf club and 15 tennis courts, four squash courts, state-of-the-art gym, 20m swimming pool and sauna, bar and restaurants and its own beauty spa.

According to estate agents Savills, the the area is ‘internationally renowned as one of the most sought-after private estates in England.’

But it is not the first time the estate has had problems with unwanted intruders and people ignoring the law.

In May, peace at the gated community was punctured when squatters moved into an empty property 200 yards from the members-only tennis club that forms its social hub.

Residents were sent a letter saying those responsible were ‘known to police’ and they should be on their guard.

But the unwelcome neighbours managed to stay for several weeks at the £3million empty property which was at the centre of a long-running legal dispute.

A Surrey Police spokesman confirmed the crimes took and said officers continue to appeal for witnesses over the armed robbery.

A spokesman for St George’s Hill Residents’ Association declined to comment.

You're not in Newscastle anymore: The master bedroom inside the $5.5 (£3.4million) mansion in Beverly Hills Cheryl viewed last night

She already has a plush Beverly Hills apartment, but as Cheryl Cole makes a serious commitment to breaking America, she looks to be upgrading.

The singer was spotted viewing a $5.5million (£3.4million) Los Angeles mansion 'in the dark of the night' with her assistant and a real estate agent.

The 6,000 sq ft luxury home overlooks the city and boasts six bedrooms and four bathrooms.

 

It has a swimming pool, a large games room and multiple dining areas.

 

 

The sprawling three-storey pad features stucco exterior, split levels and a Spanish-style flat roof.

The house overlooks Beverly Hills with the occupants able to relax on one of several balconies to enjoy the stunning views.

Luxury pad: Occupants are able to enjoy the stunning view of the city from one of several balconies which overlook the city

 

Perfect hostess area: Cheryl can lounge around outside on the balcony or hold alfresco dinner parties

Cheryl can either top up her tan outside or play the perfect hostess to her Hollywood friends with an alfresco-style dinner party.

Trading up: Cheryl already owns a luxury apartment in Beverly Hills

And when she wants some alone time, the massive master bedroom features a cosy fireplace, perfect for snuggling up beside in winter.

But it also features massive windows, which will see the sun streaming through in the summer months.

Photos from inside the house show the current owners' penchant for artwork in the living room with an orange and cream theme.

The house has been dressed up with a number of 70s-style pieces, including sideboards.

Cheryl, who is reportedly a fan of cooking, will love the kitchen, which looks big enough to fit several people and include a middle bar with its own sink facility.

One of the tiled bathrooms features a massive walk-in shower, two sinks, and a beauty counter so Cheryl can spend hours getting ready for A-list Hollywood parties.

The mansion is a far cry from Cheryl's humble upbringing in Newcastle.

She grew up in council estates with her mother and four brothers and sisters.

Cheryl reportedly bought an apartment in Beverly Hills in March worth £2.2million ahead of her appearance on the U.S. X Factor judging panel.

KATIE Price is angry. In fact, she’s furious and has something she is desperate to get off that famously pneumatic chest of hers...

Katie Price stands outside the Oxford Union debating chamber (Pic: PA)

KATIE Price is angry. In fact, she’s furious and has something she is desperate to get off that famously pneumatic chest of hers...

Off the back of a Government-ordered review into the over-sexualisation of children, the Tango-tanned, collagen-lipped mum-of-three is on an unlikely moral crusade.

Katie, 33, is “disgusted” by recent trends including beauty parlours offering toddler tanning and pre-teen makeovers.

She says: “It is disgusting. I don’t agree with it at all. I think surgeons and mums who encourage these young girls to have cosmetic work done, or have fake false boobs, should be shot.

“It’s horrible when you see these pictures of young children wearing make-up, having fake tans and so on. It’s sad.”

Katie’s comments come 48 hours after Prime Minister David Cameron met internet industry representatives to discuss how to stop youngsters accessing pornography online. It is something she strongly agrees with.

Roman Abramovich is a "gangster", court told

 

Boris Berezovsky said Mr Abramovich was part of “black ops” by the Russian security service designed to force him to give up his business interests in the country. Mr Berezovsky, the so-called “godfather” of the Russian oligarchs, says he met Vladimir Putin, the Russian leader, at the Kremlin “eye to eye” and was told to give up his control of a television station that had criticised the president over his handling of the sinking of the nuclear submarine the Kursk. When he refused, he was threatened with arrest and policemen in balaclavas, dubbed “maski” stormed the TV station ORT to remove documents. Mr Berezovsky says he fled the country and Mr Abramovich, his former protegee took advantage of the situation to pressure him into selling both ORT and the oil conglomerate Sibneft they had created together. Mr Abramovich is then said to have sold his minority stake in the aluminium giant Rusal, massively devaluing Mr Berezovsky’s stake.

Michael Jackson's heartbroken daughter lashed out at Dr Conrad Murray for failing to save her father's life, jurors heard today as they again saw a photo of the pop stars dead body.

The King of Pop's three children 'cried and cried and cried' after being told their father was dead.

His daughter, Paris, now 13, told Murray, her father's personal doctor: 'I will wake up in the morning and I won't be able to see my daddy.'

On Tuesday a court in Los Angeles heard recordings of Conrad Murray saying Michael Jackson's children sobbed when they learned their father died and saw a photo of the singer's dead body

According to the 58-year-old cardiologist, she said: 'Dr Murray, you said you save a lot of patients. You know, you save people with heart attacks, and you couldn't save my dad.'

Paris's anguish was revealed in an interview Murray gave to detectives two days after Jackson's death on June 25, 2009.

The court saw a photograph of the painfully thin star taken before an autopsy was carried out on his body the day after his death. It was the second time the jury has seen a photo of the dead star after a picture was displayed on the opening day of the trial.

 Jackson's mother, Katherine, who flew back to Los Angeles from the weekend tribute to her son in Wales, left the courtroom before the disturbing image was shown on a screen.

Dr Christopher Rogers, Los Angeles Deputy Medical Examiner, said the 5 ft 9 ins tall singer was comparatively fit when he died.

Enlarge  

A coroner's photo of Jackson's naked body, with his genitals blacked out, was shown to jurors as they heard he was relatively fit for his age, but had many puncture wounds on his arms and legs from injections

'He was healthier than the average person of his age,' said Dr Rogers, who added there was no sign of any fat or cholesterol on the walls of Jackson's heart.

He ruled the cause of death was homicide as a result of acute Propofol intoxication, the court heard.

Dr Rogers dismissed Murray's claims that the singer took a deadly dose of Propofol himself while the doctor left his bedside for two minutes to go to the toilet. 

He suggested it was too short a time for Jackson to be able to self-administer the drug and for it take sufficient effect to stop his breathing.

He said Murray had no equipment to help deliver the correct amount of Propofol to help Jackson sleep.

Enlarge  

A close up of Jackson's wrist shows his date of death, which was actually June 25, 2009 but mis-labelled as August, and Coroner Case Number 2009-04415

'It would be easy for the doctor to estimate wrongly and give too much Propofol,' he added.

Murray, who has pleaded not guilty to a charge of involuntary manslaughter, is not expected to testify at the trial at Los Angeles Superior Court, but the recording means jurors at least got to hear his side of the story.

Before Rogers the last 45 minutes of the two-hour tape was played in the hushed courtroom on Tuesday.

Murray told police Jackson's children 'really were weeping, really weeping' when they were told that doctors at UCLA Medical Centre in Los Angeles had been unable to revive their 50-year-old father.

'I hugged them all, gave comfort to Paris, comfort to Prince, comfort to Blanket, which is the last little guy, because whenever they were sick, they would always ask for Dr Conrad,' he said.

Sir Paul McCartney and his new wife Nancy are pictured after their wedding in a kooky official portrait taken by Sir Paul's daughter Mary.

Sir Paul and the new Lady McCartney had emerged beaming after the ceremony at Marylebone Register Office. 

The newlyweds were greeted on the steps of the building by friends and family who covered them in rose petals. 

'I do': The newlyweds pose in this official but quirky wedding photograph taken by Sir Paul's photographer daughter Mary McCartney

Man and wife: Sir Paul McCartney and his new wife Nancy Shevell wed in an intimate ceremony at Marylebone Town Hall

Husband and wife: Sir Paul McCartney and new wife Nancy Shevell leaving the Marylebone Register Office

The pair got into a car with Paul's daughter Beatrice who had acted as bridesmaid and made their way to their North London home for the reception. 

Sir Paul and Nancy, 51, became husband and wife in front of just 30 guests.

City Hall has now set up a special space where woman and men can carry out the oldest profession in the world without being fined.

area has been prepared next to the Guadalhorce river

Photo EFE

 

Ten months after introducing new restrictions on prostitution in Málaga, prohibiting the offering of services less than 200m from shops or homes, the PP controlled City Hall has now set up a special space where woman and men can carry out the oldest profession in the world without being fined.

Some are calling the idea a ‘follódromo’, and it reminds others of the late Marbella Mayor, Jesús Gil’s intention to establish a ‘Putódromo’ in Marbella.

The area chosen is next to the Guadalhorce river, and over the last few weeks the Ayuntamiento has levelled the ground and installed a dozen or so lampposts. 

Several non-governmental organisations have already criticised the plan, considering that it will expose the prostitutes to robberies and aggressions, but the prostitutes think it is the only way for them to avoid the actions of the police and fines of 700 €.

Sandra Vicente, from the Commission to Investigate Domestic Violence against Women, is reported in El País as saying
‘The problem is the Town Halls are taking it for granted that prostitution is legal. Most of the laws penalise the women who are in the street, but do not specifically mention prostitution’.

Mobile phone users suffering from 'text neck'

 

The affliction, caused by flexing the neck for extended periods of time, can be a forerunner of permanent arthritic damage if it goes without treatment. Cases of the repetitive strain injury are on the rise as smart phones and tablet computers such as the iPad become increasingly popular, experts said. In severe cases the muscles can eventually adapt to fit the flexed position, making it painful to straighten the neck out properly. One chiropractor said her company had treated thousands of patients for the condition, which can also result in headaches and shoulder, arm and wrist pain. Rachael Lancaster, of Freedom Back Clinics in Leeds, said: "Text neck is caused by the neck being flexed for a prolonged period of time

Why only you can choose the perfect perfume

 

Scientists have discovered why we all have so much trouble buying the ideal fragrance for a love-one. According to new research, we are all drawn to perfumes that complement our own natural smells, making it near impossible to second-guess the right scent for a partner. Findings to be presented at a conference in London next week show that when people chose their own fragrance they become much more attractive to the opposite sex. Dr Jan Havlicek, a smells expert based at Charles University in Prague, says that perfume is rarely chosen to mask our natural body odour and instead we all chose the fragrance which work best with our own smell. He told the Sunday Telegraph: 'Perfumes have been used by people for thousands of years and the prevailing view has been that this was to mask our natural body odour to make us smell more attractive. 'In fact, what we have found is there is a strong individual interaction between perfume and body odour. People choose fragrances to complement their own odour. It is probably why buying perfume as a gift is so difficult and why they end up lying in the bathroom not being used.'

Tanning beds may be even riskier than thought

 

New research published online Oct. 6 in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology suggests that the main type of ultraviolet rays used in tanning beds -- UVA1 -- may penetrate to a deep layer of skin that is most vulnerable to the cancer-causing changes caused by UV rays. The new study comes as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration considers banning the use of tanning beds among children under 18. The American Academy of Pediatrics is on record that it supports such a ban. In the study, 12 volunteers were exposed to UVA1 and UVB rays on their buttocks. (One difference in the waves is length: UVB waves are shorter.) The UVA1 was more damaging to the skin's basal layer then the UVB light. The UVA1 induced a type of lesion called thymine dimers on the deeper basal layers of the skin. UVB radiation caused more of these lesions, but they did not go as deep, and thus may be less likely to cause the changes linked to skin cancers. "The doses we used were comparable for erythema -- sunburn -- for UVA and UVB. That would be roughly equivalent to the doses needed for tanning in each spectrum," said study co-author Antony R. Young, a professor at the St. John's Institute of Dermatology at King's College School of Medicine in London. "Indoor tanning is like smoking for your skin," said Dr. Doris Day, a dermatologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. "It's the single worst thing you can do in terms of skin cancer and premature aging." Many indoor tanning salons advertise that tanning beds can help boost the body's production of vitamin D, known as the sunshine vitamin because skin makes it when exposed to the sun's rays. "This is nonsense and an excuse," Day said. "We know people burn in tanning beds and that UVA and UVB are toxic." Teens are particularly vulnerable, she said. "They are immortal in their mind, and skin cancer and aging seem a long ways away." Melanoma, a potentially fatal form of skin cancer, "is not an old person's disease," she said. The new study provides "a little bit more muscle in helping to warn people about the dangers of tanning, but an FDA ban is what we need," she added. "I do think there should be legislation on sunbed use under 18 years of age," said Young, who added that such use is already prohibited in England. John Overstreet, executive director of the Indoor Tanning Association, a Washington, D.C.-based trade group representing the industry, said that if there was science to back up many of these claims, the FDA would have acted by now. The agency has been mulling these claims since March 2010, he noted. What's more, the new study is about ultraviolet radiation, not tanning beds, he said. "Tanning beds have the same ratio of UV waves as the sun. UVA-1 is the primary wave length emitted by the sun, too," he said. "The sun and indoor tanning pose the same risks and benefits if you don't burn. There is no science that shows non-burning exposure to sun or a sun lamp causes cancer."

Imogen Thomas brands Katie Price a "transvestite" as Danny-Gate continues

And in the latest salvo of what I’m ­calling ­Dannygate after the ex-model’s dalliance with rugby player Danny Cipriani, 23, furious Imogen has told pals: “Out of every woman in the world, her?! She’s such a slag.” Imogen, 28, has been with Danny since July. She thought they had a future.

But now all Imogen’s plans are off after pictures showed him ­leaving his home barefoot with Katie the ­morning after an evening together.

Former Miss Wales Imogen fumed: “He’s such a liar. You don’t spend ages telling someone about your issues and how women have treated you then go do ­something like that.”

Imogen was putting on a brave face when she appeared at the Inspiration Awards For Women in London on Friday – but photos of Danny cosying up to mum-of-three Katie, 33, had her ­tweeting in fury on Thursday: “Danny Cipriani is the ­biggest bull******r out there.”

It’s not their first clash over guys – Katie dated Jermain Defoe after ­Imogen split with him in 2009.

Now I can’t wait to hear what Katie has to say about all this.....

Self-styled ‘Lord’ Davenport - known as 'Fast Eddie' - masterminded an ‘advanced fee fraud’ scheme that ripped off scores of businesses.

 

Davenport set up Gresham Ltd in 2005 and pretended it was a respectable business with 50 years of sourcing huge commercial loans. He charged companies advance fees for loans of up to £157million but the money never materialised.

The scam conned at least 51 victims and from 2007 to 2009 Gresham Ltd received more than £4.5million from unsuspecting clients, the court heard.

‘To outward appearances it was long-established, wealthy and prestigious,’ said Simon Mayo QC, for the prosecution. ‘It was essentially worthless. Its only business was fraud.’

The businessman had many high-profile friends including socialite Tamara Beckwith (right) (Picture: Rex Features)

Davenport owns Sierra Leone’s former high commission at Portland Place, London, used in The King’s Speech – and a gay porn film.

The 45-year-old is pictured on his website with celebrities including Cowell and Hugh Grant, Knightley, Beckham and Mick Jagger.

He boasted of 'beautiful homes and a collection of sports cars which would make any man jealous including a Ferrari 360 Spider, an Aston Martin Virage Volante, a Rolls-Royce Phantom and a Lamborghini'. 

Davenport was banned last year from using his home for activities including a ‘porn disco’, sex party and pole-dancing lessons. 

He was jailed last month for seven years and eight months with accomplice Peter Riley, 64, of Brentwood, Essex. They were convicted of conspiracy to defraud. Borge Andersen, 66, of South Kensington, got 39 months for the crime.

Con victim: Royal dress designer Elizabeth Emanuel was among those who paid money to Davenport (Picture: PA)

According to Gresham Ltd accounts, Andersen received £159,564 from the fraud, Riley £695,407 and Davenport £773,000. A total of £349,025 vanished, the court heard.

The convictions at Southwark crown court can be revealed because a reporting order was lifted yesterday.

Princess Diana's wedding dress designer Elizabeth Emanuel - who had been one of Davenport's victims - welcomed his sentence.

The 58-year-old turned to him in 2008 in the hope of raising £1m for her business, Art Of Being, and was asked to pay £20,000 - later reduced to £5,000 - for his company to complete due diligence.

'I think justice has been served,' she said.

'The amount I lost was nothing compared to everybody else but he was happy to take my £5,000. It sums up the sort of person he is.'

Drug-dealing killer: Chicago cop stopped DEA investigation of me

 

high-level drug trafficker admits he was involved in three killings after a Chicago Police officer scuttled a federal investigation into his illegal activities in the mid-1990s, according to a recent court filing. Saul Rodriguez, who pleaded guilty last month to federal drug conspiracy charges, was an informant for Officer Glenn Lewellen for years. But Rodriguez told authorities he and Lewellen were also longtime partners in crime. They allegedly worked together to rip off other drug dealers, splitting millions of dollars in loot. Lewellen recruited Rodriguez as a police informant in early 1996. Rodriguez’s undercover name was “Bill Pager.” From 1996 to 2001, the Chicago Police Department paid him $807,000 for information that led to seizures of drugs and cash, prosecutors said. All the while Rodriguez was making cases for the police, however, he was committing crimes. And Lewellen repeatedly stepped in to keep Rodriguez out of jail, prosecutors said. Rodriguez’s statements to authorities are included in a 188-page document containing evidence prosecutors intend to present against Lewellen and other defendants who face trial in the same case. Rodriguez has agreed to testify against them. According to the document, Lewellen in mid-1996 persuaded the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to stop investigating Rodriguez after 154 pounds of marijuana were seized from a secret compartment in his Buick. Lewellen told the DEA its investigation would harm ongoing Chicago Police Department cases, prosecutors said. Lewellen, who joined the police force in 1986, retired in 2002 to become a homebuilder. But he still managed to obstruct a separate DEA investigation of Rodriguez, prosecutors said. In 2006, Lewellen warned Rodriguez not to speak to a drug courier whose phone was wiretapped, Rodriguez said. At the time, the DEA was investigating Rodriguez’s ties to a cocaine wholesaler, prosecutors said. Lewellen told Rodriguez he got the information from an “agent” who previously worked in Colombia, but didn’t say what agency was involved in the investigation, according to Rodriguez. As Lewellen was allegedly protecting Rodriguez from the DEA, Rodriguez was involved in the murders of three men, prosecutors said. Rodriguez has confessed to orchestrating the slayings in 2000, 2001 and 2002. Rodriguez has also told authorities he arranged for a friend to “escape” from a prison in Mexico in 2003. He said he met with the prison warden while on vacation in Mexico and promised to pay him a $250,000 bribe in exchange for his friend’s freedom. In addition to his career as a drug dealer, Rodriguez became involved in managing boxers and developing real-estate in Chicago and Nevada, records show. The document detailing Rodriguez’s statements to federal prosecutors, filed last month, provides new details about Rodriguez’s relationship with Lewellen. For example, Rodriguez said he bought Lewellen a Ford Crown Victoria equipped with a siren. Lewellen allegedly drove the car while posing as a legitimate cop during drug rip-offs, Rodriguez said. Rodriguez has told authorities that another Chicago Police officer participated in at least one rip-off, but he believes the officer is now deceased. The prosecution’s evidentiary document also provides more information about the three murders in which Rodriguez admits to having a role. Rodriguez said he persuaded Lewellen to frame Juan Luevano with a drug case in 1999. Luevano, who was dating Rodriguez’s former girlfriend, was released from jail after posting bond in the case. Rodriguez said he then met with a high-ranking Satan Disciples gang member who was in prison. The gang leader was angry Luevano was dating his wife, Rodriguez told authorities. The gang leader asked Rodriguez to find someone to “get” Luevano. So Rodriguez said he hired a high-school pal, Manuel Uriarte, to kill Luevano. Uriarte and Andres Flores allegedly shot Luevano to death in 2000 near his home in Cicero, prosecutors said. They’re charged with murder in the same federal drug conspiracy case. Rodriguez also admitted he arranged for the 2001 murder of Michael Garcia. Rodriguez said he acted at the request of a friend who suspected Garcia had killed his brother, prosecutors said. And Rodriguez said he was involved in the 2002 murder of Miguel De La Torre. Rodriguez said he arranged the kidnapping of De La Torre to scare him into providing information about the location of cocaine and money. Rodriguez said he hired Miguel Uriate and his brother Jorge Uriate to squeeze the information from De La Torre, a drug dealer. If De La Torre refused to talk, they agreed the Uriates would kill him, Rodriguez said. Rodriguez admitted he provided Uriate brothers with an electrical cord they used to strangle De La Torre in a garage. Jorge Uriate also faces murder charges in the same case. Lewellen, who is free on $1 million bail awaiting trial, is not charged with any of the killings.

Feds indict 23 Texas Syndicate gang members

 

Federal authorities Tuesday announced the indictment of 23 reputed Texas Syndicate gang members and associates on charges including four murders, drug trafficking and extortion. Those charged are primarily in the Uvalde and Hondo areas, but the prison-born criminal group has members throughout the state. Their alleged crimes were committed over the past nine years, according to the indictment, which details the structure and goals the gang, which is led by officers with ranks. The indictment also delves into the gang's strict rules and penalties, including being killed, for going against the organization or disobeying orders. "The (Texas Syndicate) will not hesitate to kill anyone who interferes with the business of the gang or who commits a violation of Texas Syndicate rules. Among those charges under RICO, the acronym for Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization: Cristobal "Little Chris" Velasquez, 33, of Uvalde; Sotero Rodriguez Martinez "June", 41, of Uvalde; Chuco Mario "Mariachi" Martinez, 35, of Uvalde; Larry "Little Larry" Munoz, Jr.,36, of Uvalde; Brian "Tata" Esparza, 31, of Uvalde; Charles "Horse" Esparza, 32, of Uvalde; Ervey "Mad Max" Sanchez, 31, of Uvalde; Mark Anthony Vela, 35, of Hondo; Charles Olan Quintanilla, 32, of Hondo; George "Curious" Sanchez,36, of Uvalde; and, Inez "Bebito" Mata, 41, of Uvalde. Others charged in the case are not accused of violating the RICO law.

Dancehall star Vybz Kartel has been charged with the murder of Jamaican promoter Barrington Burton

. Photograph: Scott Gries/Getty Images

Jamaican dancehall star Vybz Kartel has been charged with murder. A police statement issued in Kingston on Monday said that the 35-year-old artist was charged with murder, conspiracy to murder and illegal possession of a firearm. Investigators accuse the rapper, whose real name is Adijah Palmer, of conspiring with others to kill a 27-year-old promoter who was murdered earlier this year.

"The allegation is that on Monday, July 11, 2011, Palmer, along with other men, conspired to murder Barrington Burton o/c 'Bossie', a 27-year-old businessman/promoter of a Gregory Park address in St Catherine. Burton was murdered while he was standing with friends along Walkers Avenue in Gregory Park," the police release said. A preliminary hearing is scheduled to take place on Tuesday.

Kartel's defence attorney was reported to have said that his client was prepared to fight the charges. Kartel was initially arrested on Friday for marijuana possession.

Kartel has previously been arrested on charges including assault and illegal gun possession. Those charges were later dropped. A long-running feud with fellow artist Mavado is alleged to have fuelled mob attacks in inner-city neighbourhoods of Kingston. In December 2009, the two met government ministers in an attempt to calm the situation.

Kartel has worked on collaborations and remixes with the likes of Jay-Z, Rihanna and MIA. His international hits include Ramping Shop, Dollar Sign and Clarks. The success of the latter song last year sent sales of the British shoes soaring in Jamaica. A businessman in his own right, Kartel also has his own brands of rum and condoms as well as his owncontroversial range of skin-lightening cosmetics.

Recently, the singer also became the star of locally produced reality TV show Teacha's Pet. Officials from the telecommunications company that sponsors the show were said to be discussing the new charges levelled against Kartel last night.

The Duchess of Alba with her new husband Alfonso Díez outside Dueñas Palace in Seville.

 Photograph: Javier Diaz/Reuters

She is a frizzy-haired 85-year-old eccentric and hugely wealthy aristocrat with a squeaky voice and an impossibly long name. He is a lowly civil servant 25 years her junior. Today the two were married, prompting a frenzy of excitement in this southern Spanish city.

Crowds formed outside Seville's Dueñas Palace – just one of several regal residences the Duchess of Alba owns around Spain – as she, her family and a few friends gathered for a small ceremony for her marriage to Alfonso Díez in the palace's private chapel.

The billionaire duchess, who has been known to ask the media for money in the past, allowed in just two news agencies – for free.

"She is an amazing woman. She does whatever she wants and doesn't give a damn what people say," said 18-year-old tourism student Ana Trigo, as she fought for space on the pavement outside the Dueñas's imposing gates. "I know she's got lots of money, but that's just the luck of birth isn't it?"

A neatly groomed priest, a flamenco singing troupe, innumerable bunches of roses, sunflowers and carnations, and at least two bullfighter guests made their way into the palace complex as security guards pushed back the crowd of gawping, shouting Sevillanos.

"I've written a paso doble and want to sing it for her," said composer Vicente Tarrancón, who travelled the 300 miles from Alicante with an electric piano and a violinist but who remained firmly outside the palace gates.

Onlookers mostly were not disturbed by the duchess's inherited wealth, estimated at up to €3.5bn (£3bn), even though one in five Spaniards are currently unemployed and the economy is heading towards a double-dip recession.

Apart from her palaces, the duchess owns huge tracts of land all over Spain and has a collection of paintings that include works by Goya and Velázquez.

"She gives a lot of money to charity and employs a lot of people. And she repaired the church of the Christ of the Gypsies," said housewife Mari Luz González. "She's wonderful."

Cries of "Guapa!" or "Good-looking!" welcomed the pallid duchess when she appeared dressed in a pink wedding dress with a green ribbon around her waist at the palace gates with her new husband. She responded by dancing a few flamenco steps.

Most people, however, seemed to be taking a tongue-in-cheek attitude to the duchess's latest romance and using it as an excuse to indulge in Seville's favoured pastime of partying. At least one onlooker had dressed in a bridal gown. Another came disguised as Spain's monarch, King Juan Carlos, who was reportedly petitioned by the duchess's children to see if he could dissuade their mother from remarrying.

"Let's face it, the scandal is not that he is younger, but that she is so old," said Margarita Ruibal. "It's not every day you hear of someone of that age getting married."

An unemployed man who called himself Buti came dressed as a yoghurt carton to protest at the €40 a day paid to farmworkers. "Here they are, living it up in their palaces while 300 families a day lose their homes in Spain," he said.

The duchess's attempts to stop her six children from squabbling with her husband-to-be over money – by making her will public before the marriage – failed to appease them all, prompting the duchess to call one daughter-in-law "lying, wicked and covetous" on a television gossip show.

The daughter-in-law and her husband were among the few guests who turned down the wedding invitation. "Alfonso doesn't want anything. All he wants is me," the duchess said earlier this year.

Newsstands, meanwhile, displayed the front cover of Interviú magazine – which showed topless pictures of the duchess taken three decades ago on an Ibiza beach. The publicity-loving aristocrat was said to be formally furious, but privately delighted, by the flattering figure she boasted when she was a mere fifty-something. The magazine said it had held on to the pictures for 30 years so as not to upset the duchess, but thought them now worth publishing.

Local shops were selling duchess-themed "I love DQS" T-shirts featuring her trademark frizz of white hair. The regional CanalSur TV station beamed live coverage into the city's bars, where unemployed men sold postcards of the Virgin Mary statues that populate Seville's churches.

The duchess, whose full name is María del Rosario Cayetana Victoria Alfonsa Fitz-James Stuart y de Silva, boasts 49 inherited aristocratic titles – at least 20 of which allow entry into the select club of Spanish Grandees. She also claims the title of Duchess of Berwick and boasts blood ties to the British royal family and Winston Churchill.

Twice widowed, her last husband Jesús Aguirre, who had previously been a leftwing Catholic priest, died in 2001

Strictly star Chelsee Healey says she loves showing off her £3,000 boob job

 

As a teenager Chelsee Healey was afraid to take her top off even in front of a boyfriend. 

But, fast forward a few years and with a £3,000 investment in her appearance, the Strictly Come Dancing star is happy to flaunt her chest on national television. 

Chelsee, 23, is among stars on the show who've come under fire for wearing skimpy outfits during their performances. 

Thrilled: Chelsee Healey was ashamed of her 'droopy boobs' before she went under the knife

The actress, who appears on Waterloo Road, flew to a Marbella-based surgery to have her cosmetic procedure.

 

More...

• So is all that flesh Strictly necessary? Stars told to cover up as judge Len Goodman calls show 'celebrity job centre'
• 'Bonza, you beauty!' Jason Donovan blows the competition out of the water on second night of Strictly

 

And she raided her trust fund to pay for the operation, which boosted her chest from a C-cup to a 32DD. 

She told Now magazine: 'I'd hated my boobs for as long as I can remember. I'm naturally outgoing, but in this area I lacked self-esteem. By the time I was 19, I was desperate to change. I took £3,000 from a trust fund my dad had set up for me. I knew I'd never be happy until I got the shape I wanted.'

Ashamed of her saggy boobs, it wasn't until her friends pushed her to go for it in 2007 after a holiday to Puerto Rico, that Chelsee finally went to Spain and under the knife.

Proud of her assets: Chelsee Healey pushes her chest out at the Inside Soap Awards - she spent £3,000 on her 32DD boobs

Now over the moon with her new chest, she is often seen wearing low cut tops.

She told Now: 'I'm thrilled with them. They're round, firm and perfect and now I'm happy to show them off.'

However, Chelsee has come under fire on the BBC dancing show for her revealing outfits.

After receiving a few nasty comments on Twitter, she said: 'I was happy with the outfit, but if you come out dressed like that it can make a bad first impression.