Nicole Richie has claimed that she had taken Vicodin on Sunday evening for period pains ahead of being arrested for driving under the influence in the early hours of Monday morning.

According to a friend quoted in Us Weekly, Nicole is annoyed by claims that she is addicted to the prescription painkiller and has insistently told friends she only takes it “occasionally” for menstrual cramps.

Nicole has previously been addicted to heroin but underwent a full rehab programme after an arrest for possession in 2003.

A source told the magazine: “She knows she made a mistake [with the Vicodin], but overall she’s in a better place. She has come a long way from her heroin days.”

In related news, it has also come to light that Monday’s incident wasn’t Nicole’s first DUI arrest - meaning she could face jail. In 2002, she was arrested for speeding and found to be over the legal alcohol limit, which resulted in her license being suspended for a year and three years probation.

Under Californian law, there is a mandatory sentence of five consecutive days in the county jail for a person twice-convicted of a DUI offence.