Mills uses hate mail to bargain in court

Heather Mills has claimed that the large quantity of hate mail she receives from Paul McCartney fans justifies her demands for a large divorce settlement.

Mills brought into the court a large white box of fan-mail that came during the early years of her marriage to the ex-Beatle.

However, after they split, Mills claims she was flooded with emails attacking her for breaking up the relationship.

She said her public image was now damaged and that this would impact on her charity work and future earning potential.

A source told the Daily Record: "She thinks a judge should know her image has been tarnished as a result of her marriage - and its subsequent breakdown - and take that into account when deciding how much of Paul's millions he should award her.

"She feels it has had a significant impact on her ability to do charity work and her future earning potential."

The animal rights activist also argued in court that she needed financial cover for security costs, claiming that she needed protection for herself and her four-year-old daughter Beatrice.

Mills said: "The police came round and said, 'You have had serious death threats from an underground movement.'

"That means my daughter's life is at risk, because she's with me all the time. We've had death threats."