Troubled genius Gascoigne hits a new low

Published on Thursday 21 February 2008 20:58

HE IS an icon of British sporting history who has made as many headlines off the field as he did on the pitch during his footballing heyday.

Now, a dark new chapter has opened in the rollercoaster life of Paul Gascoigne after it emerged he had been sectioned under the Mental Health Act.

The former Rangers and England star was said to be acting as a "potential menace" at the Malmaison Hotel in Newcastle in the early hours of Wednesday. He left there and later checked in-to the Hilton Hotel in Gateshead, where he was detained by police on Wednesday evening.

A spokeswoman for Malmaison said Gascoigne had been staying there for two weeks before the incident, in which he is said to have made staff and other guests feel "threatened".

Northumbria Police confirmed that a 40-year-old man had been detained at the Hilton after concern was raised about his behaviour. A spokesman said the same man had been involved in the earlier incident at the Malmaison, when officers spoke to him following reports that he was behaving in a "disorderly manner" towards other guests.

Gascoigne, who also played for Newcastle, Spurs and Lazio, has been treated several times for drink and mental health problems. He has had a history of emotional instability and erratic behaviour.

In 2001, he admitted himself to an alcohol clinic; in 2004, he was hospitalised with pneumonia, sparking fears over his long-term health, and last year he underwent emergency surgery for a perforated stomach ulcer.

He was arrested for an alleged assault on a photographer outside a Liverpool hotel in 2005, but the charges were dropped.

The spokeswoman for the Malmaison described the early-morning incident that led to police being called. "(Gascoigne] moved towards the night porter who felt threatened," she said. "He was a potential menace to other guests who felt threatened by his behaviour, so he was picked up by his sister and then he went to the Hilton."

She said the night porter was now "absolutely fine" and would not be pressing charges.

A spokeswoman for Hilton Hotels said Gascoigne had been there for only a day. She said he had checked in on Wednesday morning and there had been no trouble before police arrived.

She said: "The call actually came in from the police, so it was not from the Hilton. From our end, the police call came in and we were obviously happy to help, but there was nothing that happened at the hotel to make us think that there was anything wrong, and once the police arrived that evening he was escorted peacefully away."

A Northumbria Police spokesman said: "Police attended the Hilton Hotel in Gateshead on Wednesday evening after we received a report of concern for a 40-year-old man staying at the hotel. The man was detained under the Mental Health Act and no-one was injured during the incident."

Last night, Gareth Southgate, the Middlesbrough manager and Gascoigne's former England team-mate, said: "I'm sure there will be no shortage of help for Paul – it is just making sure it is the right people that help him at this time. It's obviously a very sad situation, but I'm sure he'll come through it."

STAR'S RISE …AND FALL

GASCOIGNE – who won 57 England caps – starred with Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Lazio, Rangers and Middlesbrough during an injury-blighted career.

He broke into the Newcastle team in 1985, aged only 17, and made his England debut against Denmark at Wembley three years later, shortly after signing for Spurs.

He is best remembered for his performances in the 1990 World Cup, and his tears after a booking in the semi-final against Germany, which would have ruled him out of the final had England not lost on penalties.

His career went into decline after being dropped for the 1998 World Cup. He later played for Everton, Burnley, Boston United and the Chinese B-league side Gansu Tianma.