Carlos Tevez arrested: Manchester City striker faces possible jail sentence on suspicion of driving while disqualified

The Argentina international was banned for six months in January

Carlos Tevez (GETTY IMAGES)

Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez faces a possible prison sentence after he was arrested on suspicion of driving while disqualfied.

The Argentina international was banned from driving for six months in January but was arrested last night near his home in Alderley Edge, Cheshire.

The striker was taken to Macclesfield police station after being stopped in what has been described as a "high-powered car".

The 29-year-old was later bailed pending further inquiries.

A spokeswoman for Cheshire Police said: "At 5.13pm yesterday police arrested a 29-year-old man from Alderley Edge on the A538 in Macclesfield.

"The man was arrested on suspicion of driving whilst disqualified and has since been released on police bail."

The maximum punishment for driving while diqualified is six months in prison and a £5,000 fine. Often the courts also consider community service or anti-social behaviour orders.

Tevez was banned for six months on January 16 after pleading guilty to two counts of failing to furnish information relating to incidents in which his Hummer vehicle was clocked speeding. He also admitted not having a proper UK driving licence.

Tevez, who did not attend the hearing, denied through his solicitor that he was driving on two occasions when the car was caught speeding.

The first offence took place in Morecambe, Lancashire, on March 28 - the night he played for City's reserves against Morecambe Reserves.

The court heard the car was clocked doing 39mph in a 30mph zone and Tevez failed to respond to letters sent to him by police on April 3 and May 4.

The second incident took place on May 8 when the car was seen at 66mph in a 50mph zone in Crewe, Cheshire, and he again failed to respond to letters from the police about it.

The court was told he failed to respond because he did not recognise the word constabulary.

His solicitor Gwyn Lewis told the hearing: "He does understand the word 'police', but not more complicated words.

"The letters are written from Cheshire Constabulary and the word police doesn't appear on it anywhere."

Failing to provide identification carries six penalty points and under the totting up procedure he was disqualified. He was also ordered to pay a total in fines and costs of £1,540.

A spokesman for Manchester City said the club considered it a police matter and they will not be making any comment.