Pop princess Britney Spears stopped off in Brighton for a spot of shopping on a day off - and apparently bought nothing more than a handful of badges.

Fresh from her show-stopping performance on stage with Madonna at the MTV Video Music Awards in New York, Britney took time out for a bit of retail therapy in Brighton on Saturday.

It was rumoured she had been in the city with Buffy The Vampire Slayer star Sarah Michelle Gellar to visit good friend Kirsten Dunst, who is filming new romantic comedy Wimbledon on the seafront.

But at Pussy, opposite Brighton Town Hall, staff said she was with an older woman who appeared to be her manager.

Casually dressed in flip-flops and jeans, she browsed around the store before choosing a selection of badges.

Harvey Gillis, who served Britney, said: "She came in on Saturday with a woman who was about 45, probably her manager. She wandered in and I didn't even notice her at first.

"I was looking at her handbag and thought it was a bit tacky. It looked a bit cheap but was probably very expensive.

"Britney was looking at some badges and the manager was looking at some wallets. Britney chose three badges but the minimum we could charge her credit card was £5 so she chose a couple more.

"She was very sweet and she smiled but she was very quiet and just looked like the girl-next-door with nice sunglasses, jeans, flip-flops and her hair up a bit.

"One badge she bought said 'Wine Me, Dine Me, 69 Me'.

"Her manager bought a wallet, which was funny because she could have probably got it in America."

His colleague, Sally Lewis, added: "People have been wondering if the manager was Kirsten Dunst."

However Mr Gillis said although he would not have recognised Kirsten, the woman was too old and had the wrong colour hair.

A spokesman for her record label Zomba Records confirmed Britney's trip.

He said: "I believe she went to Brighton for a bit of shopping on Saturday when she had a couple of days off."

He said he was unsure if she was visiting anyone and thought someone had recommended the city to her.

Kirsten Dunst has also been enjoying Brighton's shops. Staff at Tribeca in the North Laine said she popped in on Tuesday but didn't buy anything.