Ghislaine Maxwell is reportedly selling her London home to raise funds for her legal defence in the US.

The British socialite has been in a New York jail since July due to allegations that she and former boyfriend Jeffrey Epstein groomed and abused young girls between 1994 and 1997.

The Daily Telegraph said Maxwell will sell her home in Belgravia, where one of Epstein’s accusers, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, alleges she was taken in 2001 to have sex with the Duke of York when she was 17.

The house is claimed to be the setting of the infamous photograph of Andrew with his arm around Ms Giuffre’s waist.

The Duke of York has categorically denied he had any form of sexual contact or relationship with Ms Giuffre, and said in his BBC Newsnight interview that the photo might have been faked.

Maxwell’s spokesman, Brian Basham, confirmed to the Telegraph the intended sale of the house, the proceeds of which are expected to boost Maxwell’s legal fighting fund from 7 million US dollars (£5.02 million) to more than 10 million dollars (£7.17 million).

“Ghislaine will be sad to see the house sold,” Mr Basham told the paper.

“She is devastated by all this. She will have a lot of good memories. She will be terribly sad to sell the house. It was her refuge in London.”