Supermodel Naomi Campbell has been charged with assaulting a police officer after a disturbance on a plane at Heathrow's new Terminal 5, British authorities said on Thursday.

The 38-year-old faces a total of six charges relating to last month's incident on a stationary British Airways plane. Campbell was escorted by police from the Los Angeles-bound flight after claiming one of her bags had gone missing.

The star was said by her lawyer to be "bitterly disappointed" about being charged in the incident, which happened during the days of chaos that followed the opening of the 4.3 billion pound ($8.48 billion) terminal. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and Scotland Yard confirmed the charges, after the New York-based Campbell answered bail at Heathrow police station in west London on Thursday.

"Ms Campbell has today been charged with three offences of assaulting a constable, one offence of disorderly conduct likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress and two offences of using threatening, abusive words or behaviour to cabin crew," a CPS statement said. If convicted she faces up to six months in jail and a maximum fine of 5,000 pounds for the alleged assault.

She also faces a 2,500 pound fine if convicted of using threatening, abusive words or behaviour to cabin crew. Surrounded by minders as she arrived for her 30-minute bail appointment, Campbell, wearing a dark pin-striped suit and large sun glasses, greeted photographers and news crews with a smile. Afterwards, her lawyer Simon Nicholls told reporters: "Miss Campbell is bitterly disappointed that the prosecutors have advised her she is to be prosecuted for various offences.

"She respects that decision and hopes as a matter of expediency the case gets dealt with... soon and comes to a satisfactory end for all parties." Campbell was granted bail and is due to appear at Uxbridge Magistrates Court, west London, next month.