A star player from the Bermuda Hogges was escorted from a US stadium by Police in handcuffs on Saturday, still in his strip.

It is not yet known why Stephen Astwood was arrested by Montgomery County Police in Maryland, a Washington, DC suburb, but he was detained overnight and only released yesterday morning.

The midfielder was arrested in the changing rooms of the Richard Montgomery High School stadium.

He had just come off the pitch after scoring two goals in the first half of the Hogges' fixture against Real Maryland Monarchs.

The Hogges went on to lose 4-3 in their final game of the United Soccer Leagues (USL) season.

While Mr. Astwood's teammates flew home yesterday morning, the 27-year-old had to return in the evening on a USA3000 flight from Baltimore.

Montgomery County Police did not respond to this newspaper's requests for comment by the time of going to press.

However Bermuda Hogges Football Club co-owner Paul Scope said: "It was a personal domestic matter and they've released him at this stage.

"We missed him in the second half and would have preferred he had played. For the past three years Mr. Astwood's behaviour for this club has been exemplary and we are very supportive of him."

Sports reporter Stephen Wright, who was covering Saturday's match for The Royal Gazette, said: "We saw him led out of the stadium in handcuffs at half-time by Montgomery County Police.

"He had actually scored two goals in the first half and was in the changing rooms when they arrested him.

"People could see him being taken away at one end of the stadium, still in his strip."

In a somewhat testy match, assistant club coach Jack Castle was also escorted from the venue by a Police officer after arguing with a match official.