ITALIAN motorcycle giants Aprilia are in court again this week in an ongoing legal battle with the Spice Girls.

The action follows claims by Aprilia, who sponsored a Spice Girls tour in 1998, that they lost out to the tune of £1.6m when Ginger Spice Geri Halliwell left the band.

As part of the sponsorship, Aprilia manufactured a special scooter named the Spice-sonic and insists that the special-edition bike became obsolete when Ginger Spice quit the band just weeks after the deal was signed.

The scooter featured pictures of all five Spice Girls and Aprilia bosses insist they would have scrapped the idea if they had known Geri was leaving the band.

Both Geri and current band member Emma Bunton appeared in the High Court last week as witnesses for Spice Girls Ltd.

When questioned in court as to whether it concerned her that Aprilia might produce a scooter showing five members of the band when she had plans to leave, Geri replied that she felt the Spice Girls were strong enough and had the momentum to go on as a four-piece even though she was leaving.

In a counter claim the band are suing the Italian firm for over £200,000 which they say is still owed from their £500,000 deal. The case is due to finish this week.

Story date: Wednesday 16 February

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