Actress Heather Locklear arrested in California

Actress Heather Locklear poses at the premiere of the film ''Uptown Girls'' in Hollywood in this file photo from August 4, 2003.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actress Heather Locklear, who sought medical help for depression this year, was arrested this weekend outside the coastal city of Santa Barbara, the California Highway Patrol said on Sunday.

The Los Angeles Times reported that the 47-year-old star of television shows such as "Melrose Place" was arrested on Saturday night.

Celebrity website TMZ.com said she was booked on suspicion of driving under the influence of prescription drugs, and that she was released without having to post bail.

A California Highway Patrol official confirmed the arrest but gave no details. A spokeswoman for Locklear was not immediately available.

Locklear checked into an Arizona medical facility in June suffering from anxiety and depression.

News reports said on Saturday that a witness saw Locklear driving erratically when leaving a parking lot. A California Highway Patrol officer later found her car parked on a highway and blocking a traffic lane in Montecito, near Santa Barbara, about 90 miles northwest of Los Angeles.

The officer believed Locklear was under the influence and arrested her, according to reports.

Locklear gained TV stardom on 1980s drama "Dynasty." In the early 1990s, she joined the cast of another nighttime hit drama, "Melrose Place."

(Editing by Xavier Briand)