'Posh Spice' pays £155,000 to settle autograph dispute

Victoria Beckham agreed yesterday to pay £55,000 damages to the owners of a shop she accused of selling a forged signature of her husband.

The singer and wife of the England football captain, David Beckham, also faces costs of up to £100,000 after reaching an "amicable agreement" with the owners of GT's Recollections in the Bluewater shopping centre in Kent.

Mrs Beckham, who has a fortune estimated at £25m, did not appear at the High Court in London yesterday, but she issued a statement apologising for the "hurt and damage" her comments caused to the shop's owners, Tim and Glynis McManus and their son, Anthony. After the settlement, the former Spice Girl, otherwise known as Posh Spice, also gave the McManus family a set of merchandise signed by her husband, one of the most bankable stars in world sport.

The case was brought by the McManus family after Mrs Beckham visited their store in March 2001. She alleged that a picture of her husband in a display cabinet in the front of the shop bore a fake signature. Her comments were subsequently published in several national newspapers, although both sides in the case agreed that it was wrong to claim that the star had been "rude" or "offensive".

Michael Skrein, solicitor for the McManus family, told Mr Justice Gray: "When Mrs Beckham entered the shop, there was a picture of David Beckham in a display cabinet at the entrance, and it was autographed by Mr Beckham. Mrs Beckham's attention was drawn to the autograph. She thought that it was not genuine, and said so in the shop. Your lordship can imagine the damage done to the business of the claimants by the suggestion in the press that they were selling goods which were not the genuine article.

"Your lordship can also imagine the distress and upset caused to the McManus family. The McManuses are honest and reputable traders, with pride in the business they run."

He explained that they had obtained the autographed photograph of the Manchester United star from someone they believed to be a reputable dealer and they still believed it was genuine.

"The claimants had no choice but to institute these proceedings for slander. They were determined to vindicate their reputations," Mr Skrein told the court.

"I am happy to be able to tell your lordship that an amicable agreement has been reached between the claimants and the defendant which achieves exactly that."

Mrs Beckham's counsel, Justin Rushbrooke, said that she apologised for the hurt and damage the McManuses had suffered. "Mrs Beckham happily accepts that the McManuses are honest and reputable traders and seek to obtain their memorabilia from respected sources."