A UCLA student has had the good fortune (or the misfortune, depending on how you view it) to acquire Paris Hilton's old mobile phone number - and has accordingly received a flood of SMSes and calls directed at the highly-talented former jailbird.

San Francisco gal Shira Barlow got a new phone and number after dropping her old mobile down a toilet, Yahoo! explains. What she didn't know, though, was that she now had Ms Hilton's recycled number, but was soon set straight when she was besieged by "wrong-number calls" and text messages "mostly between 2 and 4am on weekends".

The action hotted up as Hilton's birthday on 17 February approached, with one caller demanding: "Oh my God. Where's the party?" A male admirer apparently "purred" in a foreign accent: "Baby girl, how are you?"

The mood changed as Hilton's spell in chokey began, when "messages about parties were replaced by dozens expressing condolences". Barlow explained: "People were scared for her."

While traffic understandably dropped while Hilton languished in the slammer, her release provoked renewed activity. One message improbably declared: "It's disgusting how they treated you in there, but once again you have showed the world that you can do anything."

Barlow said she had "resisted the temptation" to pose as Hilton to get into swanky jet-parties, indulge in drunk-driving, get jailed and appear in amateur grumble flicks, but says she'll plans to "keep the number because...it has been a greater source of amusement than a hassle". ®

More hot Paris Hilton action - you know you love it

Paris Hilton says jail term has changed her (28 June 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/06/28/paris_hilton_larry_king/
Paris Hilton walks to freedom (26 June 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/06/26/paris_hilton_leaves_jail/
Paris Hilton dereassigned back to jail (8 June 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/06/08/paris_hilton_saga_continues/
Paris Hilton dragged back into court (8 June 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/06/08/hilton_reassignment_hearing/
Paris Hilton released for 'medical reasons' (7 June 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/06/07/hilton_released/
Perfumier concocts Paris Hilton chokey scent (6 June 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/06/06/the_sweet_smell_of_chokey/
Paris Hilton goes down for 23 days (4 June 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/06/04/hilton_caged/
Hilton to go down for 23 days (17 May 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/05/17/hilton_sentence/
Paris Hilton kyboshes ParisExposed.com (5 February 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/02/05/parisexposed_takedown/
Paris: 'stop exposing me' (30 January 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/01/30/paris_lawsuit/
Paris Hilton laid bare on net (25 January 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/01/25/paris_hilton_website/
Paris Hilton says no to sex doll honour (4 January 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/01/04/roboparis/
Monkeys will pay for Paris Hilton smut (20 September 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/09/20/monkey_celebs/
Paris Hilton jumps the shark (25 August 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/08/25/paris_beaten_on_youtube/
Hilton flogs herself to mobile gamers (19 April 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/04/19/paris_hilton_mobile/
Paris Hilton may play movie Mother Teresa (14 February 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/02/14/hilton_movie/
Paris Hilton burger cavort crashes website (24 May 2005)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/05/24/paris_hilton_advert/