Mel Brown burst into tears in the middle of a packed nightclub last night, sobbing over her bitter paternity battle with Hollywood star Eddie Murphy.

The former Scary Spice was showing the strain after a boozy night on the tiles to celebrate David Beckham's 32nd birthday - and her unlikely saviour came in the shape of Beckham's sister Joanne.

Mel, who gave birth to daughter Angel a month ago, has revealed she plans to take Eddie to court to prove he is the father of her newborn. He has so far refused to take a DNA test or sign Angel's birth certificate after dumping Mel when she was five months pregnant.

After Beckham's four-hour dinner in Mayfair's Cipriani restaurant, Mel headed off to the Cuckoo Club in Swallow Street with Geri Halliwell and David Walliams. She hooked up with two pals and they headed across the road to the popular F*** Rehab night in Chinawhite before heading back to the Sanderson Hotel, where she is staying.

We're told: "It was Mel's first night out clubbing since the baby was born and she became incredibly emotional. She started drinking champagne and burst into tears at one point, gesticulating and burying her head in her hands."

And, at one point, she rounded on a stunned nearby punter and yelled: "What are you staring at?".

Joanne Beckham spent the evening trying to comfort her. We're told: "Joanne was shouting, 'No man is worth it Mel,' and Mel was flinging her arms around wildly. She eventually seemed to cheer up and get over the shocking outburst."

Mel, 31, said this week: "Eddie's not doing a DNA test and he's not signing the birth certificate. So it's going to have to go to court ... which is strange since he was the one asking for it."

It was a reference to Murphy, 46, telling a Dutch TV show in December: "I don't know whose child that is until it comes out and has a blood test."

Mel said: "He hasn't seen his daughter. My people have contacted his people and they just had no response to anything."