Kerry Katona's nose is disintegrating due to years of cocaine abuse, claims her step-sister.

In a description not for the faint of heart, Pat Ferrier recalls seeing the former Atomic Kitten star pulling out "rotting black stuff" from a hole in her nose with a pair of tweezers.

"We were in America for our dad's funeral last year when the hole first started to develop," she told Britain's News of the World.

"Kerry was in the bathroom for ages. I'd seen her take the tweezers in and I said, 'What you doing?' She said, 'I'll be out in a minute.'

"Then in her hand she's got this thing that she dragged out of this hole in her nose. It looked like when you get the fat off bacon. I've got a strong stomach but that was almost too much."

"She told me that rotting black stuff builds up inside and she has to dig it out every few weeks. It was disgusting, but it doesn't stop her taking drugs."

This week the mother-of-four was cautioned by police after footage surfaced of her apparently snorting cocaine.

Kerry has apologised for her actions but insists she is not a "drug addict".

Meanwhile, Kerry - who was dropped by Iceland after the drugs scandal broke -  has been arrested and released on bail after allegedly attacking her accountant with her fists and a cup of tea.