A FORMER Playboy model and reality TV star avoided jail last week despite admitting that she lied to police about being robbed in Harrow.

Hayley Dixon, who appeared on the British version of the reality show Beauty and the Geek, pleaded guilty to wasting police time at Harrow Magistrates' Court last Friday.

The 28-year-old, from Cheshunt, had left her phone at the Fitness First gym, in St George's Shopping Centre, Harrow, on February 18, but when she realised it was missing decided to report it as stolen to help her insurance claim.

She told police that it had been snatched out of her hand as she walked through the shopping centre's car park, claiming the robber had pounced from behind, and that was therefore unable to describe him.

But when the investigating police officer rang Fitness First and spoke to a member of staff, they remembered Dixon attending the gym and confirmed she had left her Blackberry mobile phone there.

The staff member also said she had been trying to contact Dixon to tell her they had her phone.

When Dixon was interviewed, the officer asked her to describe the 'stolen' phone, and when this turned out to fit the description of the Blackberry left at the gym, the office probed deeper.

It emerged that having left the phone in the gym, the model had gone to the Orange shop to report it missing.

There she was told by a member of staff that her insurance company would not cover a lost handset, so she made up the story about the robbery.

Dixon attended Harrow police station on March 2, and was arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice and making a false report, at which point she started to cry and apologised for her actions.

She was later charged with wasting police time. The case was deferred for two weeks while Dixon obtained legal aid. She was fined £585 and given a 12-month conditional discharge.