Welsh police have explained a footballer was released without charge after being arrested in the middle of a match over the weekend.
Bizarre viral footage shows the moment two police officers stormed onto the pitch and escorted one of the players away from the scene who was in the middle of playing.
The non-league player initially started on the bench before being introduced in the second-half for team Baglan Dragons, at a time when they trailed 3-1 in the JD Cymru South fixture on Saturday.
Police officers chose to take the 31-year-old off the pitch after he had scored and created two more goals to turn the match on its head with footage showing the action unfold.
The game only had a few minutes remaining when law enforcement arrived on the scene, arresting the man on suspicion of theft before releasing him without charge.
Police could be seen escorting the player off the pitch before he was later released without charge
A spokesperson for South Wales Police stated: ‘Officers arrested a 31-year-old man on suspicion of theft. He was later released without charge’.
The player’s eventful weekend outing sparked a mixture of responses from online viewers who were shocked after seeing the police intervention that temporarily halted proceedings.
‘No way got arrested for coming on as a sub then grab a goal and an assist,’ said one response on X.
Cwmbran manager Simon Berry previously tried to summarise the situation after match stating: ‘Fair play to him, he came on the pitch and completely transformed the game.
‘He assisted in the two goals that drew them level and then banged in the winner.
‘He played really well for 20 minutes and then the police arrived and took him away.’
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk