Alan Pardew had 'wallet and mobile STOLEN' before players 'nicked taxi'

WEST Brom boss Alan Pardew reportedly had his wallet and phone stolen before four of his players allegedly stole a taxi and ditched it outside their hotel.

Posted Sunday, February 18, 2018 by Dailystar.co.uk

Jonny Evans, Gareth Barry, Jake Livermore and Boaz Myhill have all issued an apology for the "incident" during a break to Barcelona this week.

It is alleged they caught a taxi to a McDonald's drive-through, before taking the vehicle at 5.30am on Thursday morning and leaving the driver stranded.

Now it has emerged boss Pardew, 56, was apparently robbed on Tuesday night after leaving his jacket in a bar.

Thieves took his wallet and mobile phone, reports The Telegraph.

Since then, the former Crystal Palace gaffer has admitted he feels let down after his players broke a curfew.

Alan Pardew had 'wallet and mobile STOLEN' before players 'nicked taxi'
INCIDENT: Alan Pardew reportedly had his wallet and phone stole in Barcelona

Pardew said: "They broke a curfew and that’s unacceptable and I feel a bit let down by that.

"I don't usually set too many curfews and I've had many trips as you can imagine – mid-season, pre-season, end of season with football teams. I've never had an incident before, so yeah, I'm a bit disappointed.

"When your chairman and financial director have been moved on you can't be certain of your job, you just have to try and do your job and that's what I'll do.

"I'm an experienced manager and I'm going to try and use my experience to get us out of this situation. This is obviously not ideal and wasn’t what I wanted."

The footballers were reportedly taken to a police station after being dragged out of their five-star hotel, with the taxi returned to its owner.

They were not arrested, but it is understood they are facing an investigation.

A statement issued on behalf of the players read: "We would like to take this opportunity to apologise to our team-mates, the Head Coach, the Club and especially the supporters for the events which have been the subject of widespread and negative publicity.

"We felt it important we identify ourselves as the players involved in an incident which occurred during the training camp in Spain this week out of respect for team-mates who otherwise could be implicated by association."

West Brom has launched an investigation.

A club statement read: "The Club can confirm that four senior players were involved in an incident during this week's mid-winter training trip to Spain.

"The Club has instigated its own investigation into the incident and the players will be subject to the full rigours of our internal disciplinary procedures.

"Until such time as that investigation has been completed, the Club will not be making any further comment."

A police source said: "It appears the players had headed to the Barcelona Olympic Port but found everything closed so late on which is normal for midweek.

"They decided to catch a taxi to a McDonald’s drive-through nearby and somehow and for some reason, left there in the cab but without the cab driver.

"The receptionist at the hotel they were staying at phoned police when she saw the taxi had been left unattended outside.

"Around the same time Mossos received a call from the stranded taxi driver.

"The four players who had got back to their hotel in the cab were taken to a local police station."

A police source added: "It’s not clear whether the players did what they did as a joke.

"The taxi driver has the right to make his own complaint because apart from anything else he wouldn’t have been earning during the time he was without his cab."

The alleged incident comes as the Baggies sit bottom of the Premier League, seven points from safety.

Daily Star Online has approached West Brom for a response to the allegation Pardew had his possessions stolen.