Councillor 'slept with footballer'

A London councillor has claimed he slept with an Arsenal footballer.

The self-styled King of Bling, Brian Coleman, made the revelation in a post on his internet blog.

The openly gay former Tory councillor, who serves as an independent on Barnet Council in north London, wrote: "For someone who has little interest in football, although I did attend Barnet v Port Vale at Underhill a couple of years ago, and once slept with an Arsenal striker, I am not fussed if Barnet survive in the Football League or bothered where they play."

Mr Coleman, 51, was criticised in 2008 after it emerged his annual expenses claim included £8,000 in taxi fares when he was deputy chairman of the London Assembly. This accounted for half of the entire cab bill for all the elected members at City Hall.

He reportedly earned a £130,000 salary before losing his London Assembly seat in an election in May last year. The vote also cost him his role as chairman of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA).

Mr Coleman was suspended by the Tories in September after being arrested for allegedly assaulting a cafe owner as she tried to film him parking in a loading bay.

He is awaiting trial over charges of assault by beating and driving without reasonable consideration.

In 2007 Mr Coleman also made headlines after he claimed Ted Heath was told to stop "cottaging", prior to becoming prime minister.