Jade in trouble with the law

Big Brother contestant Jade Goody was left pleading her innocence over the weekend after being arrested by police on suspicion of shoplifting.

15:31 04 October 2005

Big Brother contestant Jade Goody was left pleading her innocence over the weekend after being arrested by police on suspicion of shoplifting.

The 24-year-old, who has earned millions on the back of her outspoken performance on the Channel Four reality TV series, was later released without charge, Essex police have confirmed.

Jade was detained by police after staff at an Asda supermarket in Harlow, Essex, called them when the security tag on a 16 denim jacket set off alarms in the store.

But a spokesman for the star, who has also appeared in Channel Five's Back to Reality series and on Celebrity Driving School, insisted the incident was a result of a misunderstanding.

"She did not do anything wrong," he told the Sun newspaper, who initially reported the case this morning.

"As far as she is concerned, she went into the store and purchased a number of items of clothing before leaving.

"She thought Asda staff mistakenly left the tag on the jacket."

An Essex police spokesman confirmed: "A 24-year-old woman from Chipping Ongar was arrested on suspicion of theft on Sunday and was released without charge yesterday."