Posh 'plans trial separation'

Victoria Beckham was said last night to be considering a trial separation from her husband.

The development came after it was claimed in a Sunday newspaper that David Beckham had confessed to her that he did have an affair with his former personal assistant, Rebecca Loos.

The footballer is said to have admitted sending lewd text messages to 26-year-old Miss Loos.

Victoria, who spent her 30th birthday on Saturday apart from her husband, was said to be devastated by the admission.

Yesterday, the couple were together for the first time in a week for a belated birthday celebration at their Hertfordshire mansion.

But Beckham is due to fly back to Madrid for training with his club today alone.

Since the allegations about the 28-year-old England captain surfaced, he and his wife have appeared desperate to maintain the image of a happy family.

However, they have spent more time apart than together, and are not planning to be reunited again until next weekend.

Victoria spent her birthday with her parents, Jackie and

Tony, and her children Brooklyn, five, and 18-month- old Romeo in the Swiss ski resort Verbier.

On the slopes she looked miserable as she pottered down the pistes alone.

She confined her landmark birthday celebrations to a low-key restaurant lunch, picking at a grilled vegetable salad prepared especially for her by the chef. The mountain-top restaurant has stunning views of Mont Blanc, but Victoria chose a table facing a wall, chatting with her parents while Brooklyn tucked into a plate of chips.

Beckham himself - who has dismissed allegations of an affair with Miss Loos as ' ludicrous' - is expected to go on the offensive this week as he insists his lawyers must stop the flow of intensely embarrassing stories about him.

The player - who is also said to have slept with 29-year-old model Sarah Marbeck - believes he has found a way of hitting back at Miss Loos without having to argue it out with her in court.

His lawyers are believed to be planning to sue her for breaking the terms of her employment contract with the Beckhams by selling her story.

Miss Loos will be on Channel 4's Richard and Judy show this evening, and is also to sign up for a reality show called Hell's Kitchen, hosted by Angus Deayton.