

Sir Rod Stewart has been charged with battery after an alleged scuffle at the entrance to a private New Year’s Eve party for children at a hotel in Palm Beach, Florida.

The altercation is also believed to have involved Stewart’s 39-year-old son, Sean, who is accused of pushing a security guard.

The incident began when young children in the family group were refused entry to the party. Stewart, 74, is alleged to have struck the guard’s chest “with a closed fist”, according to a police report.

Stewart and his son have both been charged with “simple battery” and are due to appear at the Palm Beach county criminal justice complex early next month.

According to the report, the singer has “apologised for his behaviour in the incident” and told police that he and his family had approached the check-in table at the Breakers hotel to try to gain entry for their children. According to Stewart’s affidavit, once the family were denied access, a security guard, Jesse Dixon, became argumentative, causing his family to become “agitated”.

The police officer’s report also cites the witness statements of two other hotel employees, who have alleged that Stewart punched Dixon in the chest.

Dixon told police the Stewart family group “began to get loud and cause a scene, and refused to follow instructions to leave”. The guard said he asked Sean to step back when he came up “about nose to nose” with him.

Police say Dixon claimed that Sean then shoved him after he put his right hand on his chest, and that Stewart punched him in the ribs.

Stewart and his son are described as “primary aggressors” in a document filed by an arresting officer, who claims to have looked at video camera footage.