Sarah Harding ex-boyfriend answers new claims: "I've never hit anyone"

Sarah Harding's ex-lover Theo de Vries has denied hitting the singer during their fight in Austria over the New Year.

Harding alleged that de Vries bit and bruised her, banged her head against the floor of their hotel room and tried to lock her in the bathroom during an interview with The Sun, which also published photographs of injuries reportedly caused by de Vries.

De Vries - who met Harding in rehab in Cape Town - told the paper in response to the new allegations: "She's a bitch for trying to blame this all on me. I've never hit anyone in my life. I did restrain her, but nothing more.

"I held her down by her wrists to try to stop her attacking me. The bandage she had [on her arm] must be to do with that."

De Vries added that the incident took place after he decided to leave their holiday early and fly home alone. However, Harding has claimed that she had booked an earlier flight away from Innsbruck when the former couple began to squabble and only returned to their hotel when her plane was cancelled.

"I thought we'd spend our lives together. But when she drank she changed into someone I didn't recognise," de Vries added of their relationship.

De Vries first spoke about the incident on Tuesday (January 3) when photographs of his injuries were published in the press, along with allegations that Harding bit him, gave him a bloody nose and threw an ashtray at him during their altercation.

It was reported yesterday (January 4) that both Harding and De Vries could face police charges in Austria as a result of the fight.