Sex case stars head home

The three Premiership footballers accused of a hotel sex attack have landed back in Britain. Leicester City stars Paul Dickov, Frank Sinclair and Keith Gillespie landed at Luton at 12.45pm after being granted bail by a Spanish judge.

It followed a marathon day in court after which they were driven back to Murcia prison to sign a release order. They were immediately allowed out in the early hours, avoiding an eighth night in prison, and driven to a secret location in preparation for their flight home.

Judge Jacinto Areste, who spent more than 14 hours hearing evidence from a string of witnesses, including the footballers and their accusers, ruled that all three should be allowed to return to Britain.

Their lawyer Ana Ruiperez confirmed the total bail was 288,000 euros (£196,500) for all three players. Of that sum, £81,800 bail was set for Dickov, 31, and £40,900 each for Gillespie, 29, and Sinclair, 32. The rest will be held for any possible future compensation for the alleged victims.

The bail bond for the three men, who deny attacking three women at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in La Manga, was imposed at the Palace of Justice at Cartagena. Leicester City's chief operating officer Paul Mace today confirmed that representatives of Dickov, Gillespie and Sinclair, and not the club, had paid the cost of securing bail.

The club's chief executive Tim Davies said: "They are delighted they are able to return to England after what has been a very traumatic time for them.

They are in good health and are looking forward to being reunited with their families as soon as possible.

"They maintain their total innocence of all outstanding charges and also express their confidence in the Spanish legal system and that justice will be done." But he admitted the players' ordeal was not over yet, as they still face charges of rape and sexual assault.

The lawyer for their accusers, Encarnacion Gomez, raised suspicion over why the players were released. "It does not seem good, but we respect the decision of the judge," she said. "It leaves us a bit perplexed because of the nature of the crime and I have doubts about whether they have let them out because they are famous."

Earlier, one of the footballers, who has not been identified, came face-to-face with one of their accusers in the courtroom. He took part in a "careo", or faceto-face meeting, in order for the judge to form an impression of who is telling the truth. One witness seen by the judge yesterday was Leicester's Steffen Freund - one of nine players arrested but later released free of all charges.

Mr Mace said club officials will speak to Dickov, Gillespie and Sinclair at the weekend as part of Leicester City's own inquiry, once the three had spent "quiet" time with their families.

He promised the inquiry will be "no whitewash". Meanwhile, alcohol is to be banned from the club's players' bar in the wake of the La Manga allegations. Mr Mace said players have previously been allowed one drink after a match but the ban is one of "a variety of initiatives" the club will implement.