Journalist Donal Macintyre injured in 'revenge attack'

Investigative journalist Donal MacIntyre and his wife were assaulted in a bar, apparently over a football hooligan he exposed nearly a decade ago, it was revealed today.

Four men set upon MacIntyre in the Cloud 9 wine bar in Hampton Court, west London, on Wednesday, leaving him with a black eye and cut face and needing hospital treatment for concussion.

His wife, Ameera, suffered bruising to her face and arms after she was hit while trying to intervene.

In 2000, two men - Jason Marriner and Andrew Frain - were jailed for six and seven years respectively for planning football violence after they were exposed by MacIntyre on his BBC programme MacIntyre Undercover.

MacIntyre infiltrated the Chelsea Headhunters hooligan gang by posing as a drug dealer, and filmed the men using hidden cameras as they planned a fight against rival fans while travelling in the back of a car to a football match at Leicester.

The journalist, who was runner-up in the last series of Dancing On Ice, told The Sun: "The attack on us was clearly related to my investigation from 2000."

The 43-year-old said his work had led to him being assaulted and having his car vandalised in the past.

"I'll take those slings and arrows, but it crosses a line when my wife gets caught in the crossfire," he told the newspaper.

Surrey Police said a 48-year-old man, from Addlestone, was arrested yesterday on suspicion of assault causing actual bodily harm, questioned and bailed until 30 July.