Police criticised Heather Mills McCartney today as it emerged they have dealt with a "disproportionate" number of emergency calls from her.

A senior police officer said his colleagues have dealt with four emergency calls from Lady McCartney in a 24-hour period, but inquiries found no grounds for further action.

Chief Superintendent Kevin Moore, of Brighton and Hove Police, said there was a danger of further complaints not being taken seriously.

It has been reported that Lady McCartney has complained of being followed by photographers near her home in Hove.

Mr Moore said today: "We are having to spend a disproportionate amount of time on one particular person.

"We are duty-bound to respond, but clearly people who make lots of calls to the police run the risk of being treated as the little boy who cried wolf.

"Officers who have attended previously to find there have been no grounds might not take any claims seriously, and that's the danger we face."

Last month it emerged she had been having on-going discussions with Sussex Police after she received death threats.

And in January her sister Fiona Mills made an internet appeal for an end to media "harassment" of her family, saying she was "deeply concerned" for the safety of Lady McCartney and her daughter Beatrice, claiming they were receiving death threats.

Her spokesman Phil Hall said today that Sussex Police had contacted her with details of death threats against her, which he said they were taking seriously.

He said: "She is a single mum who has been very nervous about all the things that have happened. She has been followed late at night by people she does not know.

"The danger is that she will not call police in future and something serious will happen. What is she supposed to do?"