A SOUTHAMPTON woman has spoken for the first time of her fears of facing a long jail sentence after being arrested for allegedly smuggling £250,000 worth of cocaine out of Peru.

Rachel Franklin, 20, was stopped as she waited to board a plane to Spain at Lima's Jorge Chavez airport. It is reported that police discovered 8lb of the drug in her luggage.

Rachel, who admits she was stupid and naïve, said: "I have got three A-levels and I wanted to do something with my life. Now it is all ruined. I should have just said no."

A source close to the investigation said: "The young woman is very upset and very distressed."

If she is charged she is likely to be taken to the Santa Monica women's prison.

It is understood that Rachel, who is unemployed and had been returning from the country after a holiday, intends to plead guilty.

Together with any evidence she gives, this could help police trace members of the drug trafficking network and significantly reduce her sentence.

Explaining how she got caught up in the drugs nightmare, she said: "Basically I had a holiday. I was acting like a normal tourist. I went to visit Machu Picchu, went round the restaurants and on the last day I was given drugs to bring back to England.

"The blocks were inside a Winnie the Pooh bag which I put inside my suitcase. Just put it in your suitcase and do not look paranoid - that's all I was told."

She admitted that that one of her main motivations was the money she was to have been paid for smuggling the drugs.

Rachel said: "I can't lie, at first it was about the money. I did want £5,000 because being unemployed £5,000 is a lot.

"But on the day before I left I did not want to do it. But one of the blokes turned round and said that I had to go because all the flights were booked.

"At the start I did not want to do it but then I was pushed into it at the last minute, just when I wanted to back out.

"I do feel really guilty about not saying no straight away and getting myself tangled into all this mess.

"I have got three A levels and I wanted to do something with my life. Now it is all ruined. I should have just said no."

It has been reported that Rachel's parents have both died. She has been advised by the British Embassy that she can apply to the Home Office for a transfer to a British prison, depending on how long a sentence she may receive.