The whole thing blasts the eye and at times half deafens the ear
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Gazza back in the Priory after 'suicide bid' in the bathtub of his London hotel
Last updated at 01:07am on 07.05.08Paul Gascoigne arrived back at the Priory yesterday after apparently trying to commit suicide in a hotel.
The ex-England footballer is thought to be receiving treatment for alcoholism and manic depression.
He is understood to have turned up at the clinic in Roehampton, South- West London, after expressing "suicidal thoughts".
A source close to Gascoigne said: "He was there three weeks ago after suffering a mental breakdown but left a short time later and instantly hit the bottle.
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Bald truth: Gazza is now in the Priory after he tried to kill himself - he is pictured here with a bald head just hours after dyeing it red
"We don't know how long he's going to be in there for but at the moment, as you can imagine, he's uncontactable.
"He's a very troubled man and needs a lot of help at the moment. He'll be in there for as long as it takes."
Gascoigne, 40, was admitted to the rehab clinic after being led away from the four-star Millennium Hotel in Knightsbridge by eight police officers on Sunday.
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Red head: Flame-haired Gazza looks nonchalant about his shocking new style over the weekend
They apparently found him trying to drown himself in the bath of his £232-a-night room. He had arrived at the hotel at 1pm, wearing a leather jacket and clutching a bottle of gin.
An insider said: "He was extremely loud and staggering drunk, not making much sense at all.
"He then rang down for a steak, but a few minutes later cancelled it, saying they should just bring him the steak knife.
"It was about 90 minutes after he checked in when the hotel decided to call the police."
When the officers arrived they went to Gascoigne's hotel room and found it in darkness.
"The officers then heard splashing noises from the bathroom," said the insider. "He was naked in the bath with the water a couple of inches from the top. He told them if he couldn't kill himself by slashing his wrists, he would drown himself.
"Then he held his shaven head under the water. The police dipped in to pull him up and hauled him out of the bath.
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The Kensington hair salon's manager had to help the troubled star cross the road
"He was extremely emotional and distressed, crying his eyes out."
A second source at the hotel said: "One of my colleagues said it was like he was out of his head. Two policemen arrived but they couldn't handle him so they had to call for back-up and six more came along.
"There were police everywhere and I couldn't believe this was all just for one man.
"From what I gather his behaviour was unpredictable and the back-up was just to be on the safe side."
Hysterical scene: the Millenium Hotel in Knightsbridge where police were called yesterday to attend to Gascoigne
It was the latest bizarre episode involving Gascoigne.
The day before, he had visited a salon in Kensington to have his hair dyed red - apparently to match the colour of a Ferrari he had bought.
Within hours, however, he shaved his hair off and hid his bald head under a leather cap.
After police were called to the Millennium Hotel, Gascoigne was taken to a nearby hospital for an initial assessment before being transferred to a second hospital for more tests.
A source said: "It must be stressed that Gascoigne was not dangerous or threatening. He was a threat to himself."
He was then taken to the Priory where he was previously treated in 1998 for alcoholism.
Just two months ago, he was released from a psychiatric hospital after being detained for two weeks under the Mental Health Act.
It followed an incident at the Malmaison Hotel in Newcastle hours earlier, where the hotel said the star made other guests and staff feel "threatened".
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Covering up: Gazza kept his new hairdo under wraps as he left the salon with the manager
Gascoigne, who won 57 caps for England, is a solitary figure these days. He is no longer on speaking terms with his long-term friend Jimmy 'Five Bellies' Gardner, 42.
Regarded as one of England's most talented footballers, Gascoigne had spells at Newcastle, Tottenham, Lazio and Rangers.
In his autobiography, Gazza: My Story, he admitted headbutting his wife Sheryl and throwing her to the floor during an argument in 1996, breaking her finger.
His father John, 62, yesterday refused to comment at his home in Dunston, Tyne and Wear.
Writer Hunter Davies, who helped the footballer write his autobiography, said Gascoigne had so far refused all offers of help.
He said: "He's been given pretty good advice from people but he just won't listen."
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