Paul Gascoigne faces assault charges - The Guardian

Paul Gascoigne, the former England and Tottenham Hotspur footballer, was charged with two counts of common assault and one of being drunk and disorderly.

Gascoigne, 46, was arrested by British Transport Police (BTP) officers in Stevenage, Hertfordshire on 4 July. He will appear in court next month in connection with an incident at a railway station.

Gascoigne, who starred for England at the Italia 90 World Cup and Euro 96 tournament in England, has had well-documented battle with alcoholism since retiring from the game.

He was charged after answering bail on Sunday morning and will appear before magistrates in Stevenage on 5 August.

Baljit Ubhey, the Thames and Chiltern chief crown prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "Following a BTP investigation, a file was forwarded to us to consider whether any criminal charges could be brought against the 46-year-old man.

"Having carefully reviewed all of the available evidence, Thames and Chiltern CPS authorised officers from BTP to charge the man with common assault and being drunk and disorderly.

"The charges are in relation to an incident at Stevenage rail station on the evening of Thursday 4 July. The decision to charge was taken in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors."

Gascoigne, who lives in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, was arrested at around 10.30pm on July 4 and later released on bail.

The midfielder had an injury-blighted career which also saw him play for Newcastle, Lazio, Rangers, Everton and Middlesbrough.

He played 57 times for England, scoring 10 goals, including a memorable strike against Scotland at Wembley during Euro 96.

Gascoigne spent a month in an Arizona rehabilitation centre earlier this year, his fifth stint of treatment for his drinking problem, after friends including the Radio 2 DJ Chris Evans paid for his trip.

It followed a public breakdown during a question and answer session at an event in Northampton in January. After returning to the UK he blamed boredom for his drinking, saying that he could not guarantee he would not relapse.

Gascoigne's problems with alcohol first appeared while he was playing for Middlesbrough in 1998, when he was admitted to the Priory hospital shortly after his divorce from wife Sheryl.