West Ham defender James Tomkins charged after assaulting a police officer in Towie nightclub

Incident happened in the early hours of Sunday morning at the Sugar Hut nightclub

James Tomkins has been released on police bail (GETTY IMAGES)

West Ham defender James Tomkins has been charged with assaulting a police officer outside a nightclub.

Tomkins, 24, was arrested after officers were called to the Sugar Hut Village club in Brentwood, Essex, shortly before 12.30am yesterday.

Police were alerted by security staff at the venue, which has regularly featured on the ITV2 series The Only Way Is Essex.

An Essex Police spokesman said: "Officers arrived and arrested James Tomkins before charging him with one count of assaulting a police officer, one count of resisting arrest and one count of being drunk and disorderly in a public place."

Tomkins, a former England Under-21 international who appeared for Team GB at the Olympics last year, had played for West Ham hours before the incident in their 3-1 defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Tomkins, from Brentwood, Essex, has been released on police bail and will appear at Basildon Magistrates' Court on January 9.

PA