Five Brighton players and one Bournemouth player arrested by police investigating an alleged sex attack have been released on bail.
Bournemouth player also freed on bail after arrest
Five Brighton players and one Bournemouth player arrested by police investigating an alleged sex attack on a woman have been released on bail.
All six were held on Thursday morning by detectives from the Surrey and Sussex major crime team on suspicion of sexual assault.
They were taken for questioning at different custody centres across Sussex following the alleged attack on a woman in July last year.
Arrested
On Thursday night, a Sussex Police spokesman said all those arrested were freed on bail until March 21, pending further inquiries by officers.
The identities of the players have not been revealed by police or their clubs.
The five from Brighton are 18, 19, two aged 20 and one 24. The Bournemouth player is 20.
The alleged attack was reported to police at the time but the suspects were only identified last Friday, according to officers.
Four of the men were arrested in Brighton at 4.20am on Thursday, a fifth was arrested in the city three hours later and the sixth held in Dorset at 10.30am.
A police spokesman said: "The six men that were arrested in Brighton and Bournemouth on Thursday on suspicion of sexual assault have been questioned and bailed.
"The men are 18, 19, two 20-year-olds and one 24-year-old, all from Brighton, and a 20-year-old from Bournemouth. They have been bailed to March 21."
Disclosure of the arrests came after Brighton settled their FA Cup third round replay against Wrexham 5-4 on penalties on Wednesday night.
Statement
A short statement from Brighton earlier read: "Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club can confirm that five men associated with the club are assisting police into the investigation of an alleged offence in July last year.
"The club will make no further comment at this stage."
Bournemouth's statement read: "AFC Bournemouth can confirm that an unnamed player is assisting police with the investigation of an alleged offence in July last year.
"The club will make no further comment."
