Prince Andrew's ex claims housing benefit

Britain's Prince Andrew's former girlfriend Koo Stark is claiming housing benefit.

The 54-year-old single mother - who dated the queen's son for 18 months in the early 1980s- has hit such hard times she has been forced to claim state benefits.

At one point, during her romance with Andrew in 1981 it was thought she was set to marry the prince but today (11.02.11) Koo is to fight bankruptcy proceedings in the High Court and is applying for income support and housing benefit.

Close pal Birgit Cunningham - who last month was revealed to have had an affair with married Cabinet Minister Lord Strathclyde - has been helping her through the process.

Miss Cunningham, 48 - who once dated Kevin Costner - told Britain's Daily Mail newspaper: "Koo got in touch with me because she knew our circumstances were similar. We are both single mothers in desperate straits.

"My situation is bad enough - which is why I turned to Lord Strathclyde for help. But Koo's life is a living hell. I feel so sorry for her and I am walking her through the benefits system because it is a very traumatic thing for someone to have to go through, especially for the first time."

US-born-actress-turned-photographer Koo has reportedly clocked up a debt of over £250,000.

She is also believed to owe around £32,000 to a London hotel where she stayed two years ago after becoming homeless following a dispute with her then landlord over who should pay to rid her Kensington flat of potentially deadly blue asbestos.

Koo's financial troubles come after last year's revelation that Prince Andrew's ex wife Sarah Ferguson faced bankruptcy due to racking up debts of close to £5million.