Paris Hilton 'thought cocaine was gum'

Paris Hilton has told police that she believed a vial of cocaine found in her purse was chewing gum.

The socialite was arrested in Las Vegas last weekend after her vehicle was stopped and she now faces felony drug possession charges.

According to documents obtained by US Weekly, the officer who stopped Hilton could smell "the strong odour of marijuana coming from the vehicle" and later allowed the 29-year-old to use the bathroom at a nearby hotel after she became "extremely embarrassed" by crowds gathering at the scene.

The policeman said that he discovered the cocaine - along with marijuana rolling papers and a broken tablet of Albuterol - when Hilton opened her purse to search for her chapstick.

"I saw a small bindle of what I believed to be cocaine in a clear baggie begin to fall from the purse and into my hand," he wrote.

Hilton is said to have admitted that the Albuterol and large amount of cash in the bag belonged to her but denied knowing about the origin of the cocaine.