Paul Gascoigne was arrested for an alleged assault after photographers scrambled to take his picture, a witness said today.

The alleged incident happened late last night outside Liverpool's Hope Street Hotel after Gascoigne, 38, had attended a charity fundraiser for the alcohol and drugs support group Sharp Liverpool.

According to fellow guest Chris Difford, former guitarist and songwriter with the band Squeeze: ''It just looked like firework night. There were so many cameras going off.

''It seemed more aggressive than usual.''

Difford and Gascoigne arrived at about 7pm and both left at around 11.30pm.

They took part in a raffle and helped to raise more than £5,000 but it had been a difficult day for the former England soccer star.

Just hours earlier the ex-Newcastle, Rangers and Spurs star had been sacked as manager of non-league Kettering Town amid hotly-contested claims that he was drunk on the job.

Difford said: ''They were pushing and shoving and he did not want his photograph to be taken. The next thing I know, I can see one of the photographers has got blood on his face but at no point did he seem under the influence of alcohol or misbehaving in any way.''

Within 30 minutes, Gascoigne was under arrest.

He had posed for pictures for waiting photographers on arrival and did some press interviews, it was claimed.

Difford said: ''Paul was more than reasonable.

''I think that most people who go out to a private affair and give time to charity should be left to privacy and not be hounded by people who had already been given photographs. It's just the world we live in.

''It's not been an easy week for Paul. He seems to have been let down by the football club he had been working for.''

The Sun reported that freelance photographer Steve Farrell made a complaint to police that he had been assaulted.

Mr Farrell said he needed treatment from paramedics for a cut eye after he followed Gascoigne in the street, along with several other photographers.

He told the newspaper: ''I said to Gazza, 'You don't mind if we take your picture, do you?'. He walked over and made like he was going to shake my hand and said 'No, but you don't mind this, do you?'.

''Then he whacked me with a left hand. There was a cut above my eye and there was blood down the side of my face. It was a proper punch.

''His mates pulled him off - and the worst thing was, Gazza just started laughing hysterically. He seemed to think it was hilarious.''

A Merseyside Police spokesman said: ''A 38-year-old man was arrested following reports of an alleged assault outside the Hope Street Hotel at around 11.30pm last night.

Jacquie Johnston-Lynch, project manager of Sharp Liverpool, said: ''There was no trouble at the event. The alleged incident obviously happened after he left the event on the way back to his hotel.''

She described him as having been ''really supportive'' throughout the evening, taking part in a question-and-answer session with football fans about his career and auctioning a 1990 World Cup replica T-shirt.

She said: ''He had been fantastic but I would say that in the Q&A session he was a bit physically emotional.

''He talked about his history and was praised for his ability to show his emotions.''

Full coverage in The Northern Echo on Wednesday.