Five Albion players arrested over Brighton sex attack

Five Brighton and Hove Albion players and a Bournemouth player have been arrested over a sex attack in Brighton.

Detectives are holding the six in different Sussex Police custody centres where they face questions about a sex attack last July.

Four of the players were arrested in Brighton at about 4.20am today. A fifth was arrested in Brighton at about 7.20am.

The sixth, believed to be former Albion player Steve Cook, 20, who lives in Dorset, was arrested at 10.30am.

Of the five from Brighton, two of them are 20 years old. The others are 18, 19 and 24.

The sexual assault was reported last July and detectives from the Surrey and Sussex Major Crime Team identified the suspects on Friday (13 January).

The club issued a statement saying: “Brightonand Hove Albion Football Club can confirm that five men associated with the club are assisting police into the investigation of an alleged offence in July last year. The club will make no further comment at this stage.”