The heiress Paris Hilton is being sued for $39 million for allegedly wearing the wrong hair extensions. A company based in Beverly Hills said it signed a contract with the socialite to promote its extensions. It alleges that she breached the deal by using fake blonde locks produced by a rival.

Hairtech International claimed Miss Hilton's highly publicised socialising and what it called her "public debauchery" was contrary to their agreement. The company claimed she had been paid $3.8 million since agreeing to become a spokesman for the Dream Catcher line of hair extensions in 2007. According to the claim, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, Miss Hilton, 29, was seen wearing other extensions in photographs and on television.

She allegedly missed a party to promote the hair extensions in 2007 because she was serving a jail term for driving offences, violating a clause in her contract that she would "obey the law". Miss Hilton has not commented on the case.