Tara Palmer-Tomkinson arrested by armed police at Heathrow airport after suffering severe panic attack

She had been due to fly out to the ski resort in Switzerland for her birthday when she struggled to control her behaviour

Tara Palmer-Tomkinson was arrested by eight armed police officers at Heathrow airport on Saturday afternoon.

The socialite and goddaughter of Prince Charles, 42, is thought to have flown into an uncontrollable rage after she was refused access to the British Airways’ first class lounge with her business class ticket, The Sun reports.

She had been due to fly out to the ski resort Klosters in Switzerland for her birthday when she claims she suffered a huge panic attack and struggled to regain control of her behaviour.

"I was not drunk, there was no disorderly; I was cautioned and I saw a doctor, they were nice to me," Palmer-Tomkinson said last night.

Witnesses described Palmer-Tomkinson ripping out her hair extensions and throwing them at the feet of the police officers as she shouted and swore at them.

She was later cautioned and released without charge and continued her journey to Switzerland last night.

Palmer-Tomkinson admitted earlier this year that she had become reclusive due to problems with extreme anxiety.

In an interview with the Daily Mail, she revealed that she had been diagnosed as an adult with autism.

"It was a shock but could explain why I've always lived my life at such a frantic level.

"I was even given Ritalin as a child to make me concentrate. No one could understand why I behaved a certain way. I do fidget and ramble when I speak, but I'm totally aware and focused."

She went on to claim that she feels many assume her sometimes erratic or unusual behaviour to be the result of drugs.

"Sometimes it might seem like I'm on something, but I've worked hard to stay off drugs since I left rehab in 1999," she said.

However, she said learning from her psychologist that she was on the high autistic spectrum was actually a "relief".