Trouble: Stewart Downing (right) was arrested near
Middlesbrough
Liverpool face fresh turmoil after midfielder
Stewart Downing was arrested on suspicion of assault after
allegedly hitting an ex-girlfriend in a nightclub
row.
The England international, 27, was arrested after a late
night fracas at a club in the upmarket suburb of Yarm, near
Middlesborough, at about 1am on Sunday morning.
It is the latest incident to rock the Anfield club, coming
hot on the heels of the arrest of a 20-year-old man for allegedly
racially abusing Oldham defender Tom Adeyemi on Friday
night.
A local source told the Mail Online that there had been an
incident between the two of them.
'She went over to one of his friends and said something
that she shouldn't have,' the source said.
In the beginning: Midfielder Downing began his career
at Middlesbrough
'He butted in and they were arguing.' It's then
that the source alleged that he hit her.
The source continued: 'Police got there as they were
thrown out. He caused a scene outside the club as well, when he
realised they were going to take him in.'
Downing, who comes from nearby Middlesborough, is thought
to have been back in town visiting old friends.
After coming up through the Middlesborough academy, he
made almost 200 appearances for the club before joining Aston
Villa.
Target: Downing scored his first goal for Liverpool
against Oldham
He made an £20 million move to Liverpool last
summer but has struggled to make his mark at Anfield but did score
his first goal for the club in Friday's 5-1 FA Cup win over
Oldham.
Referring to last night's incident, a police spokesman
said: 'Police were called to an incident at a pub on Yarm High
Street.
'A 27-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of
assault and a 32-year-old woman has also been arrested on suspicion
of assault.
'Both are in custody and inquiries are
ongoing.'
