Bono: ‘I looked like Nana Mouskouri before stylist’

Bono today admitted he looked like singer Nana Mouskouri before Lola Cashman - the stylist at the centre of a High Court battle with the band - joined the U2 team.

The now immaculately turned out singer told Dublin's High Court he hired Ms Cashman to bring some coherence to the band's look as it toured in America.

As Bono faced a second day of tough cross-examination, he also came face to face with some of the band's prized possessions which have landed him in the courtroom.

When a bright red Christmas bell with the words America Loves U2 1987 inscribed and two mugs - one which was chipped - were presented to him as he sat in the dock, the rock star laughed.

However, he maintained Ms Cashman's apartment could be like an Aladdin's Cave, as it was only in recent years they realised how much memorabilia she had taken.

The U2 frontman spent a total of three-and-a-half hours in the witness box fighting to get his belongings back from his former stylist.

The rock star, whose real name is Paul Hewson, was giving evidence at an appeal hearing brought by Ms Cashman against a court order demanding she return their belongings.

The band had last year successfully sued for the recovery of Bono's trademark Stetson hat, a pair of metal hooped earrings, a green sweatshirt and a pair of black trousers, which they said she took without permission.

Ms. Cashman claims she was given the items, estimated to be worth €5,000 as gifts during U2's Joshua Tree tour in 1987.

In 2002, Ms. Cashman put some of the items up for sale at Christie's. She claims two letters sent to the auction house from U2 lawyers seeking their return were defamatory.

She has since has started proceedings against the band in the High Court in London and maintains the band's claim was brought to stop the defamation case.

The band are also fighting for the return of a number of other items which had been seen in her apartment including a video tape, video monitor, rosary beads, hundreds of photographs, the mugs and Christmas decoration.

John Rogers SC, for Ms Cashman, said his client maintains she was gifted the items and that while Ms Cashman was clearing out the band members' clothing she filled black sacks to be disposed of.

He maintained he never handed over items from his wardrobe to the stylist at the end of the tour, especially his iconic Stetson hat which had been his idea to use when promoting the album.

Ms Cashman's employees, Z Agency, warned U2's management of the possibility of a book when they tried to negotiate her job in 1988. The stylist denied the claim.

In 2003, she penned Inside the Zoo with U2 in which she detailed problems Bono had with his weight and trivial items such as missing teeth from guitarist The Edge's comb and food-stained white t-shirts worn by drummer Larry Mullen.

Bono left the Dublin court house at lunchtime today. He will not be present for the remainder of the hearing.