Gazza

lil eva · Gazza

Former England soccer hero Paul Gascoigne has been sectioned under the Mental Health Act after he was said to be acting as a "potential menace" at a luxury hotel.

Gascoigne was detained after Northumbria Police were called to the Hilton Hotel in Gateshead on Wednesday night.

It followed an incident at the Malmaison Hotel in Newcastle hours earlier, where the hotel said the star made other guests and staff feel "threatened".

The 40-year-old has been treated numerous times for drink and mental health problems. Police said there were no injuries.

A spokeswoman for Malmaison said: "He was a potential menace to other guests who felt threatened by his behaviour so he was picked up by his sister and then he went to the Hilton."

She added: "He moved towards the night porter who felt threatened." But she said the night porter is now "absolutely fine" and will not be pressing charges.

She said Gascoigne had been "absolutely charming" during his stay at the hotel before the incident.

A spokeswoman for Hilton Hotels said Gascoigne had been there for only a day. She said there was no trouble before police arrived and he checked in on Wednesday morning.

Once regarded as one of the world's best footballers, Gascoigne's playing career was plagued by personal problems, many linked to his heavy drinking.

In 2005, he was hospitalised with pneumonia, sparking fears over his long-term health, and last year he
underwent emergency surgery for a perforated stomach ulcer. He has also had several run-ins with the police over the years.

It is a shame that Gazza will be remembered as the wreckless clown,rather than for the talent he promised in his heyday.
I know that he is ill,but a lot of it has been brought on by himself and only he can do something about it.

Pretty Shambolic

Hope he gets sorted soon. A true legend, who loves his Country, and was violated by the media.

Chrissy Canadian

yeah that's too bad.... f*cking media!

chimp

Don'tlike to say this, but things could have been so different for him if he had joined fergiscum at scum u rather than wide boy venables at spurs. Should have been a national treasue, what a player, what a star and what a pity. In simple terms yes he was exploited - and when you see some of the Prem players who are now on £50k a week when Gazza will have been on about £5k you wonder what has gone wrong with the game - next story we hear will probably him being bankrupt

Bravo

It was on the radio apparently he was flashing to the staff and talking to a toy parrot, gone completely doolally

Such a shame for anyone with mental health problems, it can happen to any one of us, let's just hope there is something they can do for him.

Twong

They is gonna zap him!

GAZZA WILL GET ELECTRIC SHOCKS

22nd February 2008
By JERRY LAWTON

SECTIONED soccer star Paul Gascoigne is to get electric shock treatment to zap his demons, it was revealed last night.

Experts say it may the best way to beat the depression that has plagued the former England ace for years and sparked his drink binges.

The controversial treatment involves placing electrodes on a patient’s head, then blitzing them with an electric current.

This electro-convulsive therapy gives the patient a seizure, which is designed to return brain activity to normal.

Gazza has been prescribed drugs for his depression, but he complained in the past that having to take the pills made him even more depressed.

Last night medics were assessing the 40-year-old star in the secure mental hospital where he has been held since trying to throttle a night porter at his hotel on Wednesday.

Police detained him under the Mental Health Act over his increasingly bizarre behaviour at the five-star Malmaison in Newcastle, where he had been staying for 12 nights.

Staff said he opened the door to his £290-a-night suite naked, walked around with three swearing toy parrots, ate raw liver and downed whisky.

Police swooped after he set off the fire alarms and grabbed a night porter round the throat.

The former Newcastle, Tottenham and Everton star – who scored 10 goals in 57 games for England – has now swapped his luxury hotel room for a bed at Middleton St George Hospital, near Darlington.

He is one of 15 patients in the secure Rowan unit, surrounded by a 20ft fence. Gazza, who had run up a £20,000 hotel bill, will stay at the £528-a-night hospital for free on the NHS.

He can only be held for up to 72 hours without his consent, but doctors could order him to remain for up to six months.

Up to 12,000 people a year in the UK have electric shock treatment and studies have revealed that about three-quarters show a “definite improvement”.

Stars who have had the treatment include musician Lou Reed, 65, and former Fleetwood Mac guitarist Peter Green, 61. But author Ernest Hemingway, 61, killed himself in 1961 after having it, and some say the long-term effects are unclear.

However, medics insist the modern therapy is safe. A mental health expert said: “Everything that can be done to help Mr Gascoigne will be done. Electro-convulsive therapy could be an option.

“It’s usually used on people over 60, but could be administered to someone younger – particularly if drugs and counselling have not worked.”

Chrissy Canadian

oh my god, you have got to be kidding! they still do that!

Dave the Penguin

Poor Gazza..............The lights are on but no-one's home!

Twong