The Daily Mail reports that West Ham's on loan striker Andy Carroll allegedly assaulted a photographer outside a nightclub in Dublin.
West Ham players were in Dublin for a club sanctioned Christmas party.
A West Ham spokesperson said:
Andy agreed to have a number of pictures taken at the request of a photographer who was waiting on the street.
Despite this, the photographer then carried on taking photos in the close proximity of Andy and was politely asked to stop by the private security team working on the trip. When he then continued taking more photos he was restrained by the security team for Andy’s safety.
Eyewitnesses state at no point was there any physical contact between Andy and the photographer. The Garda took statements from the group back at the hotel and no further action was taken.
The photographer Paddy Cummins, who made the allegations quoted in The Sun said:
He was like a wild animal. I felt this terrible pain in my eye as he gouged me. I was screaming, "My eyes!” but he kept it up. The pain was incredible.
A garda spokesperson told The Daily Mirror
:
Gardai in Pearse Street are investigating an alleged assault that occured on Grafton Street at approx 2.30am 3rd December, 2012. There has been no arrests made but the incident is under investigation.
RTE.ie reports that Carroll has been interviewed by Gardaí.
