Hilton may face up to 4 years in prison for drug possession

Hilton, 29, reportedly took lip balm out of her handbag when a plastic bag of cocaine fell out. When asked by police about the cocaine, Hilton said she “had not seen it” and thought it was chewing gum.

She also said the hand bag was borrowed from a friend. The cosmetics in the bag did not belong to her, she said, but the asthma medication, $1,300 (approximately €1,000) in cash and credit cards were hers.

Lieutenant Dennis Flynn said in a report "As she began to open it, I saw a small bundle of what I believed to be cocaine in a clear baggy begin to fall from the purse and into my hand."

If convicted, she may face up to four years in jail and fined up to $5,000 (€3,900).

It has been reported that Hilton claimed the high street handbag was too "cheap" to belong to her.

Hilton’s lawyer, David Chesnoff, has requested that people do not judge the heiress until all the facts are known.

"This matter will be dealt with in the courts, not in the media, and I encourage people not to rush to judgement until all of the facts have been dealt with in a court of law," he said.

Hilton’s boyfriend Waits has been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol. He’s reportedly been fired from his job as manager of a club in Las Vegas.

Both were stopped by police after a smell of marijuana was coming out of their black SUV vehicle.

Hilton was also briefly held by police in Corsica in France after being caught with less than a gram of cannabis in her handbag. She was also arrested in South Africa during the World Cup after a friend started smoking a joint during a quarter-final match in Port Elizabeth between Brazil and Netherlands.

In June 2007, she spent 23 days in jail for drinking under the influence of alcohol.