Beckhams ready to sue

David and Victoria Beckham were together in their Madrid home yesterday, vowing to take legal action after a torrent of fresh allegations about the state of their marriage.

Claims that their six-year union was on the rocks were made by their former nanny who is understood to have received about 300,000 ($800,000) for her story, which was plastered across seven pages of the News of the World.

The Beckhams' legal team had failed to get a High Court injunction against nanny Abbie Gibson, claiming that she was in breach of a confidentiality contract.

Gibson said she lived with the Beckhams for nearly two years and witnessed a series of rows.