A premier league footballer is to appear in court charged with assaulting a police officer in a fracas outside a nightclub.
West Ham defender James Tomkins, 24, was arrested after officers were called to the Sugar Hut Village club in Brentwood in the early hours of yesterday.
Police were alerted by security staff at the venue, which has featured regularly on the ITV2 reality TV series The Only Way Is Essex.
The footballer is accused of assaulting one of three officers as they were handcuffing him and putting him in a police car.
Essex Police said officers were called to reports of a disturbance at the club at about 12.30am yesterday.
A spokesman said: “Officers arrived and arrested James Tomkins before charging him with one count of assaulting a police officer, one count of resisting arrest and one count of being drunk and disorderly in a public place.”
Tomkins, a former England Under-21 international who appeared for Team GB at the Olympics last year, had played for West Ham hours before the incident in their 3-1 defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Tomkins, from Brentwood, has been released on police bail and will appear at Basildon magistrates’ court on January 9.
West Ham United have not commented on the arrest but it is understood Tomkins is likely to face an internal disciplinary procedure.
Manager Sam Allardyce had been critical of his team’s defence after the defeat at Manchester. He is expected to make a statement about the incident later in the week.
The footballer was signed by West Ham after being spotted playing for his local Sunday league club as a seven-year-old.
He played regularly for the England Under-16 and Under-21 teams.
Tomkins, who is reported to be paid about £35,000 a week, was runner up for the 2012 Hammer of the Year player award voted for by fans.
