Lady V's £11,000 birthday bash debt

Her 25th birthday party at the Park Lane Hilton was certainly a night to remember for Lady Victoria Hervey and her 150 guests.They were served ten cases of Laurent Perrier champagne and 300 Screwdriver cocktails, and spent £12,240 at two bars.

Roast monkfish, Jabugo ham and exquisite nibbles were part of a buffet costing £8,250.

There was a £250 cake with the inscription "Happy 25th birthday Lady Victoria".

Carriages were at 3am, although the birthday girl was provided with a complimentary suite.

There was just one problem. Almost six months later the Hilton is still looking to recover £11,537 - almost half the £28,589 Lady V ictoria spent entertaining her pals. She now faces legal action to recover the money. Her solicitors however, argue that Next Models Management, the so-called it-girl's former agent, is liable for the cost of the party. The agency denies this.

A spokeswoman for the Hilton said: "We ask for money up front for all the big events that we put on there. That is written into the contract which she signed. However, money wasn't forthcoming before the Saturday of the event. So we said to her on the evening before that she couldn't hold the event here."

But on the day of the party a down-payment of £10,000 was made by "friends" of Lady Victoria. The sponsor, OK magazine, was also expected to contribute.

The hotel, facing the prospect of empty tables if they forced Lady Victoria to cancel the booking in their Windows restaurant, agreed the bill could be settled the following week.

"That was in October," the spokeswoman added. "And we've still got a shortfall of over £11,000 that hasn't been paid. We've written and we're dealing with her solicitors."

Guests at the lavish party included Andrew Neil, Petrina Khashoggi, Jemma Kidd, Natasha Caine, Jonathan Aitken's daughter Alexandra, and Victoria's sister, Lady Isabella Hervey.

To make matters worse hotel insiders said that Lady Victoria was extremely rude to the staff, adding, "She behaved in a very surly way to the waiters. She had her dreadful 'don't you know who I am' side on display."

Lady Victoria has an unfortunate record of being careless with other people's money. Her upmarket boutique Akademi went bust after 15 months of trading owing £350,000. A string of creditors including Westminster council, the electricity company and fashion designer Scott Henshall were left out of pocket. Lady Victoria, how ever, lost just £20.

She then inflamed the situation by setting up another company to continue in business, leaving her creditors unable to pursue anyone over the debts. Asked if she felt sorry for the backers whose money she had lost, she replied: "Unfortunately that is business."

Lady Victoria's legal defence is that her then-agent Next Models Management is responsiblefor the debt to the Hilton.

Her solicitors categorically denied she signed a contract with the Hilton confirming the costs of the party.

But later they called back to "clarify" their position and stated she had actually signed on behalf of her management company, and was therefore not liable to pay the outstanding costs.

Roger Cobden-Ramsay, of solicitors Radcliffe's, which represents Lady Victoria, said: "She does not owe the Hilton any money at all. It's already been the subject of correspondence and she was not contractually bound to pay for that party. The agreement was between her agency and the Hilton. She did not sign the contract on her own behalf."

Sunil Vermani, the financial controller of Next Models Management, said: "We were not involved in organising the event. As far as I'm concerned the matter is closed."

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