Burberry and Chanel axe Moss as police probe drug claims

KATE MOSS’S career was in freefall yesterday after Chanel and Burberry dropped the supermodel and the head of Scotland Yard said a decision to charge her would take into account the effect of her drug-taking on “impressionable young people”.

The 31-year-old model may face criminal charges over newspaper pictures which reportedly showed her snorting the drug.

Moss has been the face of Coco Mademoiselle perfume for four years.

A Chanel spokeswoman said: “Chanel currently has an advertising campaign with Kate Moss that is due to finish at the end of October. The company has no plans to work with Kate Moss on advertising campaigns in the near future.”

In a statement released last night, a spokeswoman for Burberry said: “Since last week we have been in discussions with Kate Moss’s representatives.

“At the current time we had one project scheduled with Kate for this autumn and in the circumstances both Kate and Burberry have mutually agreed that it is inappropriate to go ahead.

“We are saddened by her current circumstances and hope she overcomes her problems as soon as possible. We wish Kate all the best.”

Moss has worked for Burberry since 1998 and has appeared in nine of its last 16 campaigns.

On Tuesday, fashion chain H&M became the first company to drop Moss from a planned campaign in the wake of the allegations.

Moss, said to have split from heroin addict boyfriend Pete Doherty, was axed from November’s launch of the store’s Stella McCartney collection.

In a statement, H&M said it axed the model as it was “strongly against drug abuse and for many years has actively supported the drug preventing organisation Mentor Foundation”.

Other brands which use her, including Rimmel and Christian Dior, are under pressure to follow suit.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Ian Blair said he was personally involved in the decision to launch an investigation.

“We have to look at the impact of this kind of behaviour on impressionable young people and if there is evidence, something should be done about it,” he said.

“I can remember being asked a question about a previous individual who was given a caution. I think that was a wrong decision.”

Last September James Hewitt, Princess Diana’s former lover, was let off with a caution for possession of cocaine.

Moss was pictured in the Daily Mirror apparently snorting the Class A drug and she was recorded talking about using cocaine.