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Detained Leicester City soccer players released on bail

Three Leicester City team mates accused of sexual assault were granted bail by a judge late on Thursday night and look set to fly home yesterday.

Frank Sinclair, Keith Gillespie and Paul Dickov were sent to jail last Friday after a judge heard declarations from them and three alleged victims about an incident in a Spanish hotel.

The men's lawyer, Ana Ruiperez, said after a marathon closed-doors court hearing that bail had been set at 288,000 euros (US$354,000), covering all three men.

Court official Francisca Sanchez put the total figure at 240,000 euros -- 120,000 euros for Dickov and 60,000 euros each for the other two.

Luis Ruiperez, Ana's father, who is also representing the Leicester players, said the money had been paid but the paperwork needed to be completed.

"Once that is resolved we can leave," he added.

Leicester chief executive Tim Davies told reporters: "They are delighted they are able to return to England after what has been a very traumatic time for them.

"They are in good health and are looking forward to being reunited with their families as soon as possible.

"At the present time they are unable to make any further comment other than to reiterate their total innocence to all outstanding charges and also to express their confidence in the Spanish legal system that justice will be done."

Davies said the three men were going back to the prison to sign out and would be returning to Britain yesterday.

The three players have all protested their innocence "in the strongest possible terms," premier league Leicester have said.

But the women's lawyer, Encarnacion Gomez-Diaz, said after bail was granted: "I have my doubts over whether in this case the judge decided to free the men because they are famous people."

She added: "Obviously we are not pleased about this."

The case was briefly suspended earlier in the day when judge Jacinto Areste spoke to the waiting press corps to extend the court's sympathies to the dead in the Madrid bombing.

"Nobody can feel indifferent to what has happened today in Spain," he said.

"All of us who are working here ... want to express our pain to the families of those that have died in Madrid," he added.

At one stage one during Thursday's hearing one of the men came face to face with one of the women making the allegations.
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