Lawyer: Lindsay didn't steal necklace

Lindsay Lohan’s lawyer has denied claims that the troubled actress stole a €1,830 necklace.

Shawn Holley said last night she and Lohan, 24, would fight the case if charges were filed.

Los Angeles police investigated whether Lohan took the necklace without permission from a jewellery store last month and presented potential evidence to prosecutors on Wednesday.

If she is charged, it would be another blow for the Mean Girls star who has struggled to complete the terms of her probation on a 2007 drink-driving case and is also being investigated for an alleged assault on a rehab worker in December.

Kamofie & Co, a Venice, California, custom jewellery shop within walking distance of Lohan’s home, reported the necklace stolen on January 22, about three weeks after the actress was released from three months of court-ordered rehabilitation at the Betty Ford Centre.

Ms Holley's statement was the first official word from the actress' camp since police revealed they were investigating the starlet for grand theft.

“We vehemently deny these allegations and, if charges are filed, we will fight them in court, not in the press,” Ms Holley said.

Police had obtained a search warrant on Tuesday to try to retrieve the necklace from Lohan’s house, but the item was handed in to detectives before it could be executed.

Judges sent Lohan to jail last year twice for violating her probation, and a judge has threatened to sentence her to up to six months in jail if she cannot stay out of trouble.

Prosecutors in Riverside County are also considering pressing battery charges against Lohan over a December altercation with a rehab worker at the Betty Ford Centre.

Lohan is due in court on February 25 for a probation status hearing.

Lohan’s court struggles and treatment have taken a serious toll on the former Disney star’s career. Her role as porn star Linda Lovelace in a biopic was recast last year while Lohan was at Betty Ford and no replacement projects have been announced.