Nicole Richie NICKED

Nicole Richie has been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs - the wrong way down the motorway.

Reports from the US claim she was arrested in LA in the early hours of Monday morning (December 11) and released shortly after 7am after paying 8,000 bail.

Police were first alerted to Nic's movements after motorists reported sightings of a vehicle travelling east in the westbound lane of the freeway.

She is said to have been driving alone in her black Mercedes SUV and reportedly told police - who caught up with her after she stopped on the cold shoulder - that she'd taken the prescription painkiller, Vicodin, and had been smoking marijuana.

California Highway Patrol Officer on the scene, Todd Workman, said, "Someone could have been killed or seriously injured in a situation like this.

"She must have done a U-turn to change direction from eastbound to westbound, but she was at a complete stop in the carpool lane. Public safety was endangered."

He added, "She was alone in the vehicle. She said she was lost and had been trying to follow some friends, but there were no friends around."

The tabloids have also picked up on another "shocking" aspect of the arrest - allegedly police documents record the slender Simple Life's star's weight at just over 6st.

Her spokeswoman Nicole Perna declined to comment on the incident.

No court date has been set but watch this space for updates...

SLJ