Las Vegas officials have defended their decision to accelerate Paris Hilton's recent release from jail, insisting she needed to be discharged quickly to avoid any disruptions to normal operations. Understandable!

Paris was arrested on suspicion of cocaine possession last month and taken to Sin City's Clark County Detention Center, where she waited just three hours until she was freed. The average booking time for individuals facing the same charge is six hours - but jail officials admit Paris was given preferential treatment for her own protection.

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Deputy Chief Jim Dixon, who runs the centre, says Paris needed to be rushed through the booking process in order to get her into an individual room and out of the prison as soon as possible.

He explained: "She was treated differently so I don't have a disruption of my process here at the county jail. When you bring somebody in like that, everybody comes over and tries to look at them. I'd have officers attempting to keep inmates away from her. I'd have disruptions."

But Paris just loves being looked at, don’t you know?

Photos: Elite