Tourists tell of 'screams' from room

Three women who allege they were sexually assaulted by Premiership footballers at a Spanish resort were heard screaming by a British family, it is claimed today. Tourists in the room next door claim abuse was yelled and say they heard "sexual noises".

The British tourists were in the hotel room next door when the Leicester City players are said to have burst in on the women after a night of drinking. The family claim abuse was yelled and they say they heard "sexual noises".

In the latest scandal to engulf English football, three German women claim they were assaulted at the £200-a-night Hyatt Regency hotel in the resort of La Manga.

Six of the footballers at the centre of the allegations are today facing their second day in jail.

A 46-year-old British mother was staying with her husband and 23-year-old daughter in the next-door room. The mother said: "We could hear furniture being thrown around and men yelling and swearing at the tops of their voices. I heard three female voices. They all sounded so distressed.

"One of the women was saying, 'Please stop, please stop. Just leave me alone.'"

The mother told The Sun: "At one point I heard one or more of the girls screaming out - but then it suddenly stopped, almost as though the cries were being muffled. We could hear sexual noises coming from the room next door. It was horrible, frightening."

The three women claimed the assault took place on Sunday night, within hours of the Leicester team's arrival at the hotel. They were taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors confirmed they had injuries suggesting they had been assaulted.

The players were arrested on Wednesday night after the women complained to police, handing over blood-stained underwear and a wristband allegedly torn from the arm of one of them as evidence.

It is believed the players accused had been celebrating a birthday on the night and had been drinking.

Dickov's mother Patricia defended her son, saying: "I am flabbergasted at what Paul has been implicated in.

"I have not had a chance to speak to him yet - but I know that this is just not him. I believe 100 per cent that my son is innocent."

The German women - who are said to have identified their alleged attackers from photographs after police confiscated passports from the Leicester squad - were understood to be staying at a safe house while they wait for permission-to fly home. The rest of Leicester's 24-man squad, who had travelled to Spain for a midseason training break, cut short their trip and flew home last night.

Mr Davies is understood to have flown to Spain to join Adams, who stayed behind to attend the court hearing.

Freund had been questioned over failing to offer assistance to the victim of a crime, an offence under the Spanish penal code.