Kate faces police quiz

Kate Moss was ditched by the high street fashion chain H&M yesterday as Scotland Yard prepared to interview her about her alleged cocaine binge

H&M, whose low-cost clothes are a favourite with teenage girls, had paid her a reported £1million to pose in a range of clothes designed by her friend Stella McCartney.

After initially accepting an apology from the model over her drug-taking, the Swedish firm reviewed its decision in the face of widespread condemnation of the example she was setting its young customers.

The change of heart may trigger a domino effect by other labels which use Moss such as Dior, Chanel, Burberry and the cosmetics giant Rimmel, which like H&M gears its products towards the youth market.

If it does the model, believed to be worth £30million, could see her £4million-a-year career unravelling before her eyes.

Yesterday's bold statement from H&M will do her no favours. 'H&M is strongly against drugs and for many years has actively supported the drug preventing organisation Mentor Foundation,' it said.

'After having evaluated the situation, H&M has decided that a campaign with Kate Moss is inconsistent with H&M's clear dissociation of drugs.'

The Mentor Foundation is a not-for-profit international organisation which works to prevent drug misuse among children and young people.

It is not known if H&M will recoup any of the money it paid Moss for the campaign. The pictures for Miss McCartney's range, taken several months ago by Mario Sorrenti, were due to be launched in November.

The designer is said to be 'apoplectic with rage' at Moss. A source close to her says she feels particularly let down because it was she who suggested the model to H&M. The source said she was determined not to be associated with Moss's drug-taking lifestyle.

Most of the other companies who use Moss have maintained a stony silence over the controversy, but industry experts say they may drop the model in the long run.

Although H&M has jettisoned the millions it spent on its campaign, other companies will be reluctant to pull the plug on pre-booked adverts in the press and on TV in the run-up to Christmas.