January 4, 2012 7:29

Girls Aloud's Sarah Harding to face assault charges

Harding's ex-boyfriend will also face charges after their bust-up on New Year's Eve

Photo: PA

Girls Aloud's Sarah Harding faces assault charges after allegedly attacking her then boyfriend on New Year’s Eve.

After arresting and questioning Theo De Vries following the pair's New Year's Eve bust-up in an Austrian hotel, the former partner of the pop star apparently revealed a black eye and bite mark. De Vries allegedly said he did not want to press charges against Harding, but because of his injuries, he was told he had to, reports the Daily Mirror.

A police spokesman in Innsbruck said to the red top: "Both the man and the woman face assault charges. The difference is allegations against him are because she made a complaint – allegations against her are as a result of the man's injuries… When it's clear there has been an injury the process is automatic."

Police were called to Hotel Schloss Matzen in the early hours of January 1, following reports of a disturbance from hotel guests. Harding states that De Vries attacked her after she broke up with him and alleges that he was drunk at the time.