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Katie Price forced to hand back engagement ring

Jan 7, 2013, 7:01 GMT

Katie Price and Leandro Penna

Katie Price was forced to hand back her engagement ring to the jewellers after ex-fiance Leandro Penna reportedly failed to settle the bill for it.

The glamour model ordered the pink heart-shaped ring when the Argentine hunk popped the question last March after he promised to buy her any diamond band she wanted.

However, the pair called off their engagement in October and Katie - who has been married twice before - had to hand back the stunning piece of jewellery because Leandro still owed money on it.

Katie's friend Phill Turner tweeted: ''I'm sorry to hear your heart ring has been repossessed as that Spanish (sic) guy never paid for it like everything else. (sic)'

To which the mother-of-three replied: 'Just did! That man took advantage of my generosity if only peeps could see the emails all over Christmas him wanting me back. (sic)'

Her spokesperson added: 'Katie found out that the ring had not been paid for by Leo and so has returned it rather than have the jeweller out of pocket and Leo pursued for the debt.'

However, Leandro insisted the ring had only arrived after their break-up and claims he had never ordered the piece of jewellery.

He told the Daily Mirror newspaper: 'The ring in question has never been in my possession. It was a ring Katie Price designed, ordered and had delivered directly to herself from her personal jeweller. Katie took delivery after we had ended our relationship. After Katie had possession of the ring and we had ended our relationship the bill was then passed on to myself, to my surprise.

'After open dialogue between Katie's and my own management an agreement was reached for Katie to voluntarily return the ring, ending the threat from her jeweller of civil court action.'

Katie, 34, and 27-year-old Leandro started dating in February 2011 after meeting at Sir Elton John's Oscar after-party.

However, after a turbulent relationship they decided to go their separate ways in October.