A photographer who claimed he was attacked by Paul Gascoigne said today that he would not be pressing charges against the former England footballer.

Steve Farrell, 30, from Liverpool, said he had decided to drop all charges against the star following an incident in the city on Monday evening.

Gascoigne was arrested on suspicion of assault and interviewed by detectives after the incident outside a hotel. He was released on bail the following morning.

After informing the police of his decision to drop the charges, Mr Farrell, of Croxteth, Liverpool, said: ''Having thought about this, I have decided to drop charges.

''Paul Gascoigne has enough problems to cope with in his life at the moment.

''I'm a big football fan myself and admire Paul Gascoigne from his playing days.

''I think it's very sad that he now finds himself in this situation. I hope he will be able to turn it around and sort himself out.''