Peterborough Spice admits slander

Singing sensation Victoria "Peterborough Spice" Beckham has had to cough up £150,000 after losing a slander case brought by a shop manager Manchester.

The case stemmed from events last year that ended with the artist trashing up fixtures and fittings at a "Man Ure" emporium.

Witnesses reported hearing the exceptional soloist screaming and proffering all manner of unladylike explectives when the visiting the rip-off shop in the grim northern town.

The chanteuse accused successful replica shirt seller Alex Ferguson of counterfeiting her husband's signature on a contract and thus tying the gifted wordsmith to an ongoing life in the frozen north. Frantic that her spouse retained little possibility of escape, her naturally good nature temporarily deserted her in a hail of invective.

"As soon as I saw the contract David picture messaged me, I knew it must be a fake," she squealed. "Who on earth would want to sign a contract that meant 20 years in Manchester? I went round to the shop straightaway to speak to that greasy little manager."

Ferguson has admitted that the assault left him "fearful" that David Beckham would leave the club. "The effect on the replica kit division of MUFC would have been incalculable," he told the court. With Mr Ferguson victorious, the male model and sometime footballer looks set to stay at Old Trafford for life, if not beyond.

Meanwhile, Ms Beckham's singing career seems unlikely to be adversely affected by the spat or the bad publicity surrounding it. Music shops report sales of her albums as being "no worse than before".