The heiress, who lives in a £45million mansion in Kensington, apparently contacted the Met after she was sent a threatening letter relating to information about her personal life.

Reports suggest the extortionist warned he would release graphic details about Ecclestone and an unidentified man, passed on by a former unidentified close friend.

Scotland Yard detectives are said to now be treating the incident as blackmail. Officers are reported to be planning on interviewing the former close friend referred to in the letter.

Sources claim the amount demanded could run into six figures.

Eccelstone’s father Bernie is the fourth richest person in Britain with a fortune of $4.2billion.