Detectives investigating the "gang rape" of a 17-year-old girl allegedly involving Premiership footballers travelled to the North-East yesterday.

It is understood officers are interviewing a number of people but strictly as witnesses to the alleged attack last month at the Grosvenor House Hotel in central London.

The investigation into the girl's claims is being carried out by Scotland Yard's Operation Sapphire team, which handles sex crimes.

Rumours about the identities of footballers allegedly involved have flooded the Internet and circulated among fans, but their names have not been published by the media.

England and Newcastle United footballer Kieron Dyer last Friday strenuously denied any involvement with the alleged attack.

He issued a detailed statement to "set the record straight and put an end to the massive speculation". It gave an account of his movements the night the teenager claims she was assaulted.

Dyer's comments came the same day two other footballers, aged 22 and 19, were arrested and later bailed by detectives investigating the claims.

The arrests brought to four the number of men questioned.

Last week, a 27-year-old man was arrested and bailed by police pending further inquiries and party organiser Nicholas Meikle, 29, was also detained and later bailed after he went voluntarily to a police station.

The teenager claims she willingly had sex with one man but was then gang-raped by a group of others, including several Premiership footballers, at the Grosvenor House Hotel, in London's Park Lane, on September 27.

Mr Meikle, from Catford, south London, has said that he welcomes the police investigation which he hoped would clear him over the "groundless" allegations.

He claims the girl agreed to have sex with him, then consented to sex with one of his friends and two Premiership footballers from different clubs, and that at no stage was she raped.

Scotland Yard refused to comment on the investigation and would not discuss who police were speaking to.

"Officers working on Operation Tougo have travelled to Northumbria," a Scotland Yard spokesman said. "They are in liaison with local police."

Northumbria Police also declined to comment.