'I slept with Arsenal striker': Councillor dubbed one of highest paid in the UK makes extraordinary claim on his blog

Brian Coleman, former mayor of Barnet, posts claim about sex life

Does not give any hint as to player's identity

Councillor who used to earn £130,000 a year has been under fire recently



A scandal-hit councillor who was once the highest-paid in the UK has courted controversy once again by claiming to have slept with an Arsenal footballer.



Brian Coleman, who calls himself the 'King of Bling', made the surprising statement in a post on his blog about an unrelated subject.



He did not give any hint as to who the player might have been, other than saying he was a striker.



Claim: Brian Coleman wrote on his blog last week that he 'once slept with an Arsenal striker'

Mr Coleman, 51, serves as an independent on Barnet Council in North London, and used to be the borough's mayor.



He is a former Conservative, but was suspended by the party after he was arrested for allegedly assaulting a woman who tried to photograph him.

As a member of the London Assembly who was chairman of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, Mr Coleman was paid £130,000, more than any other local official in the country.

His unusual claim about his sex life came in a blog post last week about Barnet FC's plans to move stadiums.

Mr Coleman, who is openly gay, wrote: 'For someone who has little interest in Football, although I did attend Barnet v Port Vale at Underhill a couple of years ago, and once slept with an Arsenal striker, I am not fussed if Barnet survive in the Football League or bothered where they play.'



It is unclear when the incident allegedly took place, or who the footballer was.

When contacted today, the councillor refused to reveal the identity of the player.

Blog: The controversial Brent councillor calls himself 'The King of Bling' on his personal website

Homosexuality in football is currently a hot topic due to the very small number of openly gay players - only three professionals are believed to have come out during their careers.



Mr Coleman previously made headlines with a claim that former Prime Minister Ted Heath was told off as a junior MP for 'cottaging' for anonymous gay sex.

Despite the revelation about his sporty former lover, the councillor has previously insisted that he 'does not discuss his private life with anybody'.

Mr Coleman, who lost his London Assembly seat last year, is currently awaiting trial on charges of assault by beating and driving without reasonable care.



He is accused of attacking a cafe owner after she tried to photograph him parking in a restricted zone.

