Eight top footballers in rape investigation

A group of Premiership footballers are at the centre of an investigation into the alleged rape of a 17-year-old girl.

The teenager has claimed that she was raped during an incident involving eight players at a five-star hotel in west London at the weekend.

According to The Sun newspaper, the girl said that she consented to sex with one footballer from a Premiership club, before seven other players from another top division club "forced themselves upon her". After the alleged incident, the newspaper said that the teenager was accompanied to a central London police station by a male friend.

While the footballers have not been identified, the eight men allegedly involved were well-known players, according to The Sun.

The rape allegations are being investigated by detectives from Operation Sapphire, the Scotland Yard task force dedicated to sex crimes.

Forensic examinations were conducted at the hotel yesterday where the teenager said that the alleged incident took place, although a police source said that the investigation was still at an early stage.

The girl is expected to make a statement to police before detectives question anyone she said was involved in the alleged incident, according to a spokesman at Scotland Yard.

"We can confirm that the Metropolitan Police service have received an allegation of rape from a 17-year-old female," he said.

"At this stage it would be inappropriate to comment further."