A suspected prostitute defended herself with coat hangers and cranberry juice as security guards attempted to force their way into her hotel room.

Holly Brennan stood trial over allegations of assault and criminal damage at Sevenoaks Magistrates’ Court.

She was cleared of any wrongdoing after magistrates decided security officers who confronted her at The Village Hotel had used “disproportionate force”.

At one point, Miss Brennan was partially naked and held in a headlock by one of the guards.

The court heard she was staying at the hotel, in Forstal Road, Maidstone, last July when staff became aware business cards for an escort calling herself Chloe were being handed to guests.

The cards had Miss Brennan’s mobile and room numbers on them and were allegedly being supplied by her boyfriend.

Head of security Stephen Riddle led a team of four up to the 27-year-old’s room. The door was slightly open and a naked Miss Brennan was alone inside.

Mr Riddle and his colleagues attempted to enter the room while Miss Brennan, with the help of an ironing board, tried to stop them.

Body-worn camera footage showed Mr Riddle confront Miss Brennan and saying: “She’s been offering sex to customers.”

She responded: “I haven’t offered sex to anyone!”

Mr Riddle then accused her of being a prostitute, and – with two colleagues – pushed against the door while Miss Brennan hit out with a wooden coat hanger, attempted to bite him and threw cranberry juice.

A fourth man could be heard on the phone to the police reading the business card.

“It says she’s a professional high-class escort,” he said.

She said: “So, is that illegal?”

Eventually, Mr Riddle burst through the door and got Miss Brennan – who had put a dress on but still had her breasts exposed – in a headlock. She was held down until police arrived.

In the commotion, Mr Riddle’s face was scratched and his tie pulled so tight he had to cut it off.

But magistrates cleared her of all charges, saying she had faced “extreme provocation due to the disproportionate force used by the security team.”

It was alleged that Holly Brennan’s business cards had been handed out at The Village Hotel by former Tunbridge Wells businessman Mike Waterton. Pimping charges were dropped against him last year.

Mr Waterton was cleared of a charge of controlling prostitution for gain in November due to insufficient evidence.

It was alleged he had distributed the cards, which were shown to the camera during July’s incident.

It was also alleged the 45-year-old managing director, previously of Green Way, Tunbridge Wells, had arranged a meeting between an escort and a member of the public via text.

Mr Waterton had hit the headlines the previous December after his Temp Network recruitment agency in Tunbridge Wells was closed without notice, with former employees claiming the Camden Road company owed them hundreds of pounds.

The closure left 100 people out of work.

Many of the agency workers were from Poland and claimed they had to cancel trips home to visit their families for Christmas due to unpaid wages.