3am interview: Geri Halliwell - I felt so violated .. what if I had been there as he broke in.

Byline: POLLY GRAHAM, JESSICA CALLAN and EVA SIMPSON

SHAKEN Geri Halliwell felt a chill of horror as she looked at the devastation wreaked on her pounds 1million flat by cruel raiders.

The place had been trashed, with drinks hurled over the floor, leading the former Spice Girl to fear she had been targeted by a crazed fan.

Speaking for the first time of her nightmare Geri, 28, said: "I felt so violated by it. It was a truly terrifying experience.

"At first, I thought the washing machine had exploded. Then my heart dropped when I realised what had happened. You never think it will happen to you.

"But after I thought about it I decided it could have been so much worse - I could have been in the flat when the thieves broke in. I'm so grateful that I wasn't."

Geri discovered the chaos after arriving back at her rented flat in London's Notting Hill with two friends on Sunday night.

The raiders, who got past CCTV cameras and a burglar alarm, fled with pounds 4,000 of electrical equipment and valuable jewellery.

Geri - later described by a source as a "scared woman" - was left so upset she has hired ex-SAS trooper Steve Marshall as a bodyguard.

She has refused to return to the flat and is staying at a hotel.

Speaking to 3am at a West End restaurant, she said: "You can have a pity day about these things, but then you just have to move on.

"In some ways it was really funny, because the day before my friend had had her purse stolen.

"I said to her 'It could have been so much worse, you could have been robbed or burgled'. Then it happened to me."

Geri, who had returned from a trip abroad with Robbie Williams, is now hunting for a new home with increased security.

She said: "It's all been a bit hectic, and I don't want to think about it too much. But, yes, I am looking for somewhere else.

"It's hard to find somewhere that you really like and can call home."

Bubbly Geri had invited us for a sneak preview of her new album, Scream If You Wanna Go Faster.

Congratulating us on our Mirror gossip column, she said: "It's great that it's girls doing it now. It's really nice to meet you."

Lounging around on a sofa in the downstairs bar of Momo's Restaurant, she then told us about the video to her new single It's Raining Men, theme to the Bridget Jones movie.

We told her that the Flashdance-style promo in which Geri sports an amazingly toned physique was excellent and looked like it had been good fun to make.

She replied: "I'm such a big girl, really. I saw Flashdance a few weeks before I did the video and decided to use some of the dance moves from the film for it.

"Also, I just wanted an excuse to wear leg warmers! All girls love wearing leg warmers." Geri told us she was stunned when movie bosses asked her to record the single for the Bridget Jones film.

She said: "I usually write my own stuff. But then they approached me and I couldn't believe it was being handed to me on a plate.

"I love the song and have read both the Bridget Jones books. You'll love the movie. It's a great girls' film."

Getting all girlie on us, she went on to tell us how she likes to relax at home with her friends. Geri said: "I'm going to let you into a secret. You know how you have the Sunday night blues because you're going to work the next day.

"Well, I do this thing called the SSS. It stands for Sunday Serenity Sisterhood.

"You have your favourite girlfriends over, get a video and just veg out. Me and my friends like to make beaded belly bracelets. It certainly gets rid of the blues."

Geri then asked if we had watched the Raw Spice documentary, screened on Wednesday night.

She said: "I didn't know it was going to be on.

"Then I watched it and it brought back loads of memories.

"It was a real trip down memory lane, reminding me of all the hopes and dreams I had then, and of the old days that we enjoyed together."

Geri then gave us some advice on how to look your best in photos.

She said: "I'll tell you a secret from a friend of mine so you don't look like you've got a false smile in pictures. All you do is let out a big sigh."

Then she added "Let's try it now," as we posed for our pictures with her.

At the end, Geri insisted we meet her little dog Harry.

She told us: "He's such a showbiz dog - he loves being in pictures. He'll love it here."

CAPTION(S):

RANSACKED: Geri's London flat; ORDEAL: Geri, right, with her dog Harry last night and with minder Steve, above