A GROUP of West Bromwich Albion FC players are accused of stealing a taxi in Barcelona and have been quizzed by the Mossos d'Esquadra before being released with charges.
According to Catalunya's regional military police, four key players from the West Midlands-based team pinched the parked cab from outside a fast-food restaurant in the early hours of Thursday morning whilst in Barcelona for a series of training matches.
They had booked a taxi to the eatery, but drove it back to their hotel themselves as the driver was off duty by then, at 05.30 in the morning.
The cabbie reported it missing and the hotel also phoned the police after seeing the players arrive in it without its driver, and it was swiftly returned to its rightful owner.
None of the players has been named, and they were all under a curfew from midnight onwards, as they had a match the next day.
West Brom manager Alan Pardew said he felt 'let down' and described the culprits' behaviour as 'unacceptable'.
The team is not in a good place at present anyway, having failed to win 24 of the last 25 Premier League matches and sitting at the bottom of the table, teetering on the edge of relegation.
And with players not only breaking a curfew but committing theft whilst overseas has added to Pardew's feelings of growing despair.
He said West Brom had launched an in-house inquiry and would take disciplinary action against the players if deemed necessary.
