Roux held over death of officer

The Bulls prop Bees Roux has been arrested on suspicion of beating a police officer to death, a South African police spokeswoman said yesterday.

"He has been arrested. It is alleged that he assaulted the officer, who died," the spokeswoman said.

Police said the officer had been found lying in a Pretoria street in the pre-dawn hours of yesterday. The officer was rushed to hospital but died as a result of extensive injuries, according to the emergency services.

Roux, 28, has played professional rugby for about eight years and has also appeared for the Cheetahs. His lawyer, Ernst Serfontein, said that his client would be applying for bail soon. He said he did not know when Roux would be charged.