Peaches Geldof wins payout

The model has been awarded significant libel damamges...

17:54 12 January 2010

Socialite Peaches Geldof has been awarded damages after an article suggested she previously worked as a prostitute.

The story, which falsely reported the daughter of Bob Geldof and Paula Yates had received £5,000 in exchange of sexual services, appeared on the front page of the Daily Star in September 2008.

Speaking at London's High Court, the 20-year-old's solicitor, Jonthan Coad said that after taking her complaint to the Press Complaints commission (PCC), the paper admitted the item 'Peaches: Spend the night with me for £5k' implied that she "provided services of a personal sexual nature for the payment of a fee".

However, Mr Coad told Mr Justice Eady how the paper had "refused to publish a retraction and apology on its front page but instead published it on page two".

He added: "As the publication was substantially smaller, the claimant considered this to be unacceptable as it was not, in her view, adequately prominent."

The Daily Star's publisher, Express Newspapers, was asked by the court to withdraw the allegations unreservedly and apologise publicly for the distress caused to Geldof.

The publication was also ordered to pay an undisclosed amount in damages as well as the model's legal costs.