Paul Gascoigne in rehab and misses court date

He had been due before Newcastle Magistrates' Court after he admitted last month driving while four times the limit.

District Judge Stephen Earl adjourned the case until 9 December after hearing Gascoigne had voluntarily checked himself into a clinic. Gascoigne was "unfit" to be interviewed by probation officers when he attended a meeting last Thursday accompanied by his agent, the judge said.

Stephen Andrews, defending, said: "I received information through the course of the last 48 hours advising me that Mr Gascoigne has been readmitted into a rehabilitative institution in the south of the country.

"This information came to me via a representative of his management company."

Judge Earl adjourned sentencing in the case for four weeks, so a report could be prepared by the Probation Service.

The judge said: "He is not here because he has decided to put himself in for treatment - that's the bit that causes me concern." And he added: "Who's running the show?" Mr Andrews said the rehab clinic was used to dealing with the Probation Service and a report would be completed in time, despite him being several hundred miles from Newcastle.

After Gascoigne admitted drink-driving last month, Judge Earl warned him he could be jailed for 12 weeks.

The former England internationalist was caught in Jesmond, Newcastle, driving an MG erratically at 2:45pm on 8 October.

A test revealed he had 142mg of alcohol per 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mg.

The judge repeated yesterday that all sentencing options were open.