Emma Bunton flauts smoking ban

Emma Bunton was asked to leave a nightclub after flouting the UK smoking ban.

The 32-year-old Spice Girl sneakily sparked up a cigarette - which is illegal in enclosed public places throughout Great Britain - with her friend while partying at London's Café de Paris recently, but got caught out by an eagle-eyed security guard.

A source told Britain's Daily Mirror newspaper: "Emma and her friend tried to hide their cigarettes under the table but one of the security men spotted the smoke and asked them to leave.

"Emma turned bright red and held her face in her hands. She looked mortified and kept saying, 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It won't happen again. I promise.' " Luckily for Emma - who was also accompanied by her fiancé Jade Jones who she has an eight-month-old son Beau with - the club manager recognised her and let her stay on the proviso she did not do it again.

A club spokesman confirmed: "Security asked Emma to leave after she was caught smoking a cigarette with a female pal. We take smoking in the club very seriously as it is against the law. "But Emma was extremely polite and kept apologising so she was allowed to stay."

England became the last UK nation to adopt the smoking ban in enclosed public places and workplaces on July 1, 2007. If Café de Paris was caught breaking the law it faced a fine of £2,500, while Emma would have been charged just £50.