Wayne Rooney has been questioned by police after allegedly spitting at a photographer. The Manchester United and England forward was interviewed under caution after the incident near Oxford Street on Tuesday evening, Scotland Yard said today.

The 22-year-old was reportedly leaving a restaurant with his wife and was spoken to by police at a neutral venue after a third party made a complaint. A report is expected to be sent to the Crown Prosecution Service, which will decide whether to bring charges.

"At 12.10am on Wednesday we received a third-party allegation that a photographer had been spat at by an individual outside a restaurant in Hanway Street, W1," a Metropolitan police spokesman said. "Officers established the incident occurred at approximately 10.20pm on Tuesday evening. The alleged suspect, a 22-year-old male, was spoken to by police. He was not arrested and did not attend a police station. Inquiries continue."

A spokesman for Rooney responded this afternoon, saying that "Wayne was interviewed by police in connection with an alleged minor offence involving a paparazzi photographer who had been persistently invading his and Coleen's privacy throughout the evening. This included the photographer following the couple into a restaurant from which he had to be evicted. Wayne was happy to cooperate fully and to give a clear version of the events, in which he believes he was blameless."