Police arrest six footballers on suspicion of sex attack

13 April 2012

Police arrested several Brighton and Hove Albion footballers early today on suspicion of sex assault.

Six men were taken into custody hours after the Championship team beat Wrexham 5-4 on penalties to win the FA Cup third round replay.

Sussex Police said the alleged assault was reported by a woman in Brighton last July, but the suspects were identified only last Friday.
Five of the men, aged 18 to 24, are understood to be current members of the team, and the sixth, aged 20, plays for Bournemouth.

Police refused to confirm their identities, but the BBC reported that one of the men is defender Steve Cook, 20, who recently joined Bournemouth from Brighton for a transfer fee of £150,000.

A Sussex Police spokesman said: "All have been arrested on suspicion of sexual assault and will be questioned in relation to an alleged sexual assault on a woman in July last year.

"This was reported at the time and the suspects were identified on Friday last week, leading to these arrests."

There was no comment from either football club.

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