Gazza 'sectioned' after rampage in Newcastle hotel

Police were called after the former Newcastle and Tottenham midfielder grabbed a night porter by the throat while carrying a steak knife.

The 40-year-old who has battled alcohol addiction was recuperating after a hip operation at the five-star Newcastle hotel.

It is understood that he refused to be evacuated after deliberately setting off fire alarms. A source at the Malmaison hotel said: "Paul Gascoigne was escorted from the hotel early this morning by the police and his sister after assaulting our Night Porter.

"He had allegedly set the fire alarms off at 3am at a break glass point, and when offered assistance with evacuation (he is classed as a disabled guest following surgery) he became aggressive towards the night porter and grabbed him around the throat. He became very agitated and had a steak knife in his pocket."

The hotel was forced to evacuate all its guests after the fire alarms went off.

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Fire engines arrived at the scene but there was no fire and Gascoigne is thought to have been the person who broke the glass sensors.

Manager Lizzy Kelk said he was "potentially was a menace to other guests. The guests in the room next to him were moved out as they felt intimidated."

It is understood that the night porter will not be pressing charges against the former football star. The hotel worker was described by staff as 'traumatised' following the incident and has been offered counselling.

A spokesman for Northumbria police said: "Police were called to Malmaison at 4.24am after reports that a guest was behaving in a disruptive manner towards other guests."

Gascoigne's belongings were still at the luxury Malmaison hotel yesterday and are due to be returned via his sister. He had been staying at the hotel for a couple of days after moving from another hotel where rooms cost from £200 a night.

Officers later visited Mr Gascoigne at Gateshead's Hilton Hotel after concerns were raised about his behaviour.

A spokesman for Northumbria Police said. "We had received a report of concern for a 40-year-old man staying at the hotel. The man was detained under the Mental Health Act."

A spokeswoman for Hilton Hotels said Gascoigne had been at the hotel for only a day. She said there was no trouble before police arrived.

"He had only been staying with us for one night. He checked in on Wednesday morning," 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."

She added: "It's a very sensitive situation."

Gascoigne earned 57 England caps and scored ten goals for his country during his football career.

Widely regarded as one of the most gifted footballers of his generation he captured the public's imagination after breaking down in tears during the England v West Germany semi-final in 1990 following a booking that would have ruled him out of the final.

His career also spanned stays at Lazio, Glasgow Rangers, Everton and Middlesbrough.

Gascoigne has had a troubled history of emotional instability and erratic behaviour and, in 1998, he was on the verge of suicide and was ready to throw himself in front of a train at Stevenage Station. His divorce a year later from wife Cheryl amid claims of wife-beating sent him spiralling further out of control.

In 2003, he underwent treatment against drink and depression in America. He signed for Boston United in 2004 but left, partly as a result of the club refusing to let him participate in I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here.

His last involvement in football came at Kettering where he lasted just 39 days after being sacked as manager in December 2005.

Gascoigne was arrested over an alleged assault outside a hotel in December 2005 and was arrested on suspicion of actual bodily harm at a nightclub in November 2006.