Fears are growing that ex-England footballer Paul Gascoigne is losing his long-running battle with alcohol after he was seen clutching a bottle of gin and being led from his home by police.
Shocking pictures show the former player - once the country's most gifted midfielder - slumped, head in hands, outside his penthouse apartment in Sandbanks, Dorset, looking much older than his 47 years.
He is reportedly in the process of being evicted from the £3million rented home after neighbours complained about noise levels.
Gascoigne - known to fans as Gazza - was taken away from the apartment yesterday afternoon and driven to Poole Hospital after paramedics and police were called. The star's daughter, Bianca, later took to Twitter after being inundated with messages of support from well-wishers.
One fan told her: 'Never will forget the joy of watching your Dad play. Praying he keeps fighting'. Another wrote: 'Your dad's an absolute legend hope he gets better soon!'
After retweeting some of the messages, Bianca, 27, wrote: 'Thank you for your kind words.'
A spokeswoman for South West Ambulance Service confirmed paramedics were called to attend to a patient in the Sandbanks area. In a TV documentary shown last September, the star described the pain of fearing he might start drinking again, despite knowing it could kill him.
The ITV show Being Paul Gascoigne revealed he was addicted to sweets and spent £1,000 a year on anti-wrinkle jabs to counteract the ravages of drinking.
He said: 'I just remember one bit after the third day of being in hospital when he (the doctor) said "I don't think this guy is going to make it" and I sort of put my head up a little bit and I was like, tubes in my arms and an oxygen tank injecting round my heart and lungs and that.'
A friend of Gascoigne's told the Daily Mirror today: ‘It is very sad. But the reality is Paul has been drinking for the past few weeks and once that happens things will only end one way.
‘His landlord had given him 10 days to get out of the flat and it was weighing on his mind. Obviously things became too much for him in the past couple of days and he has turned back to the bottle.’
Gascoigne was recently seen in public at a WH Smith store, where fans said he appeared 'unsteady on his feet'. It had been claimed that Gascoigne was set to make his return to football after a journey for cigarettes led him to meet taxi driver and Abbey FC manager Chris Foster - who convinced the former England international to sign for the Hayward Sunday League side.
The 47-year-old enjoyed a memorable professional career which saw him represent the likes of Newcastle, Tottenham, Lazio and Rangers, whilst also becoming a firm favourite among many England supporters.
Gascoigne, who has been plagued by alcoholism and drug addiction, last played professional football a decade ago when he made five appearances for then-League Two side Boston United.
Daren Hills, secretary of the Bournemouth Football Association, confirmed that his registration has been received.
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