Scotland Yard was last night investigating the death of Paula Yates, the television celebrity, whose body was found at her home.
Police said Ms Yates, the former wife of Bob Geldof and a mother of four children, had been discovered in bed at her mews house in west London at about 10.15 a.m. yesterday by a friend. An ambulance crew was called, but it was thought that Ms Yates (40) had been dead for some time.
As a private ambulance drove the body away, Det Insp Mike Christensen said there had been no signs of violence in the house, but until the cause of death was known he was treating it as suspicious. He added: "I'm not sure whether the children were there or not, but they are being looked after now."
In 1998 Paula Yates attempted to take her own life, and she had a history of drug abuse. However, last week it appeared that she was preparing to abandon the turbulent London lifestyle that sparked sometimes lurid tabloid headlines and retreat to a house she had bought near Robertsbridge, East Sussex.
Last night her eldest daughter, Fifi Trixibelle (17), went to the scene of her mother's death to lay flowers. With Bob Geldof, Ms Yates had three daughters, Fifi Trixibelle, Peaches (10) and Pixie (7). Her fourth daughter, Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily (4), was fathered by the late INXS singer, Michael Hutchence.
Ms Yates first found fame as a co-presenter on Channel 4's music show The Tube, and later on the channel's Big Breakfast. Her troubled private life became tabloid fodder after she left Geldof for Hutchence. The Australian musician's suicide devastated Ms Yates, as did the revelation that her real father was the TV presenter Hughie Green, and not Jess Yates, whose name she bore.
Issuing a statement on behalf of his family, Geldof appealed for privacy. "We are all so sad. The loss for all the children is insupportable. It doesn't require much imagination to understand the pain. Please do nothing to add to that." Paula's mother, Ms Helene Thornton-Bosment, from whom she was estranged, said she was devastated after learning of her daughter's death.
Since Hutchence was found hanged in a hotel room in Sydney three years ago, Paula Yates had been suffering from depression, and was treated in private clinics on several occasions. In 1998 there were reports that she had tried to hang herself but had been saved by a friend. Her attempts to rebuild her life suffered a blow a month ago with the collapse of Aura magazine, where she had been an agony aunt.