Bramble held after sex-attack claim

Sunderland defender Titus Bramble has been arrested on suspicion of sexual assault and possession of a class A drug, police have said.

The 30-year-old was being held for questioning by Cleveland Police following an incident in the early hours.

A force spokeswoman said: “A 30-year-old man from Wynyard has been arrested on suspicion of sexual assault and possession of a class A drug. He is currently being questioned by police and inquiries are ongoing.”

Last year Bramble, who played in his team’s 2-1 defeat at Norwich on Monday, was arrested by Northumbria Police over an alleged rape in a Newcastle hotel but he was later released without charge.

His brother Tesfaye was jailed for four and a half years last month after he was convicted of raping a 19-year-old a year ago.

The club said it was making inquiries but did not want to say anything more at this time.

A Sunderland spokesman said: “The club is looking into this matter but due to ongoing police investigations is unable to comment further at this stage.”