Tom Daley’s Olympics diving partner arrested in shoplifting fracas

The Olympic diver who partnered teenager Tom Daley in Beijing has been arrested on suspicion of shoplifting and assault at a Tesco superstore.

Blake Aldridge, 27, was held after police were called to reports of "shoplifters causing a disturbance" at the Beckenham branch in Croydon Road on Friday.

Scotland Yard said officers were called at 2.30am and a 27-year-old man was questioned about an alleged assault on a security guard and shoplifting bottles of wine. He was released on bail until next month. A second suspect fled and was being sought by police.

Aldridge and Daley, who were ranked third in the world before the 2008 Olympics, finished eighth and last in the 10-metre synchronised dive.

The pair fell out during the finals after Aldridge made a mobile phone call to his mother blaming Daley's nerves for the pair's placing. Aldridge claimed that the 14-year-old had had a go at him before the last dive for calling his mother, who was in the audience.

They split after the event and Aldridge later admitted the phone call had been a mistake.
His criticism of Daley — the youngest British Olympian since 1960 —prompted an angry reaction from commentators and the public.

Aldridge said he received hate mail and was verbally abused in the street.
Last year he suffered a broken nose in a brawl at a nightclub in Southampton and was forced to pull out of the British Championships.

Aldridge became the European cliff diving champion last year and Daley won gold in the 10-metre individual platform at the Fina World Championships.