F1 heiress buys £53m US mansion

HEIRESS Petra Ecclestone, the daughter of Formula 1 owner Bernie Ecclestone, has broken a South California record with the purchase of her new home.

She paid $85 million (53m) for the house that had belonged to the widow of television producer Aaron Spelling. However, Candy Spelling may have been disappointed by the price, having put the home on the market for $150m two years ago.

The 100-room mansion in Holmby Hills has been described as "the crown jewel in a premier Southern Californian neighbourhood" by estate agents.

Miss Ecclestone, 22, plans to marry soon and will use the house as a part-time residence as she spends more time in Los Angeles.

Aaron Spelling, who died in 2006, was the producer of successful television shows in the 1970s and 1980s, including Charlie's Angels and Dynasty.