[Headie]

The Daily Star has paid £20,000 in damages and apologised in open court after falsely claiming that former Big Brother contestant Charley Uchea carried out a sex scam at lap-dancing clubs.

Charley Uchea, who appeared in the eighth series of the Channel 4 reality show, brought the case to London's high court over a June 2007 story on the front page of the Star headlined "Big Bruv Charley's Vice Secret" with an accompanying inside story headed "£500 a night Charley".

The article falsely claimed that Uchea carried out the scam at various clubs, including Stringfellows where she worked.

The alleged scam involved falsely pretending to be willing to accept money for sex and then leaving her "clients" waiting, having stolen their cash. The story also claimed she used to steal designer clothes from West End stores.

Uchea's laywer, Mark Thomson from libel specialists Carter-Ruck, told today's hearing in front of Mr Justice Eady that the Star's publisher, Express Newspapers, initially declined to apologise or withdraw the allegations, but it had now accepted they were completely untrue and had agreed to pay Uchea damages and her legal costs.

The newspaper's solicitor, John Lisners, said it apologised unreservedly, withdrew the allegations and was "pleased to set the record straight".

http://www.theguardian.com/media/200...-charley-uchea

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