Top model in suicide bid

M&S model Noemie Lenoir was found unconscious in Paris...

14:10 12 May 2010

Fashion model Noemie Lenoir has been found unconscious in a wood outside Paris, in what is being described as an attempt the commit suicide.

The 30-year-old model, best known in the UK due to her role in Marks & Spencer's extensive advertising campaign, was found slumped on the ground in a forest in La Celle-Saint-Cloud, which lies on the outskirts of the French capital.

Reports suggest that Lenoir mixed a cocktail of alcohol and drugs at the home of her boyfriend Claude Makelele, who is an ex-Chelsea football star who is father to their five-year-old son.

A man out walking his dog discovered her body on Sunday afternoon.

A source close to the model said: "After coming too, Noemie was in a state of great distress and clearly very ill.

"She had clearly attempted to harm herself and had fallen unconscious.

"She was rushed to a nearby hospital and treated for the effects of poisoning. It seems that she had tried to commit suicide as a cry for help. SheÂ’s now in a far better condition and recovering."

Police in Paris confirmed the surroundings, with a spokesman saying : "A young woman age 30 was found unconscious in La Celle-Saint-Cloud on Sunday afternoon.

"She was rushed to hospital for treatment for the effects of an overdose. She is now recovering well."

Lenoir and Makelele have had an on/off relationship since 2003.