MORE MCCARTNEY LINEN WASHED IN THE STREET

This morning's Sunday Mirror brings fresh claims from "friends" that the McCartney divorce isn't proceeding smoothly:

Last night, a close friend of the former Beatle said: "Paul believes Heather wants as much money as she can get. He thinks she is proving herself to be nothing better than a gold-digger."

Of course, there have been press reports suggesting Paul felt Heather was just trying to line her pockets as deeply as possible, which have prompted Macca to go on the record and deny it.

The Smirror, though, is excited:

Sir Paul, 64, has hired Prince Charles's divorce lawyer Fiona Shackleton, in what is now promising to be one of the most bitter matrimonial battles ever

... if the papers have anything to do with it.

It's not clear if this is a different un-named friend of McCartney:

Yesterday, a close friend of Sir Paul revealed: "Paul is a reasonable guy who doesn't like confrontation. He wanted to keep the divorce quick and amicable for the sake of Beatrice - but feels Heather is being difficult and trying to drag things outs.

"In his eyes they had agreed they wanted to make the divorce quick and painless and a settlement was virtually in place - but then Heather started getting unreasonable because she wanted more money.

"She wants as much as she can. She's a gold-digger."

But who will speak up for Heather? If only she had some anonymous person claiming to be her friend, too.

Oh, hang about, she does:

A close acquaintance said: "There has been no financial offer ... she is outraged by the suggestion she's a money-grabber.

"Paul has always been tight with his money towards her. She was having to pay the mortgage on their Hove home where she is based until a few months ago.

"She even went on chat shows to raise money to pay staff, people like her secretary. This is likely to form part of her counter-claim."

Imagine! A rich, successful woman with huge earning power having to pay for her own staff. And then complaining about it. You'd have to wonder where these "golddigger" rumours start, don't you?

music paul mccartney heather mills