Gascoigne 'nearly choked on his blood'

Paul Gascoigne nearly choked on his own blood as he lay unconscious following his car accident on Sunday night, it has been claimed.

Hotel porter and trained first aider Dean Smith, 30, attended to the ex-England footballer in the immediate aftermath of the incident, The Sun reports.

Smith said: "He was out cold and there was blood everywhere. I thought, if I don't do something he'll die. His face was smashed up. He had a terrible cut over his right eye and was face down in blood. It seemed to be spilling out all over the place.

"It looked as if his lips had burst and his nose was smashed up. There was so much blood he was in danger of breathing it back in. I could hear him gurgling. I put him in the recovery position."

Passer-by and fellow first aider Stephen Bayley, 28, added: "I heard this screeching noise. I looked up and saw this blue Astra come flying round the corner and career off the road.

"I was terrified it was going to hit me but it missed by a couple of yards. I opened the back passenger side door and, with the help of another bloke, pulled Gazza out. His face was all smashed in."

He added: "I was convinced he was dead. But as we laid him down I could hear him breathing. He never regained consciousness before the paramedics took him away."