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Ben Stokes’s wife says England cricketer was ‘messing about’ in photos amid allegations of altercation

Clare Stokes says the couple ‘squish up each other’s faces’ to show affection

Lizzie Dearden,Ben Burrows
Tuesday 08 October 2019 17:16 BST
Stokes and his wife have said the stories around the photos in question are ‘unbelievable’
Stokes and his wife have said the stories around the photos in question are ‘unbelievable’

Ben Stokes has moved to quash a story accusing him of having a physical altercation with his wife.

Photos published by the Guido Fawkes website showed the 28-year-old England cricketer with his hand on his wife’s face at an awards event.

Clare Stokes called the accompanying story “nonsense” and said she and her husband “squish up each other’s faces” to show affection.

“Unbelievable what nonsense these people will make up!” she wrote on Twitter. “Me and Ben messing about squishing up each other’s faces cos that’s how we show affection and some pap tries to twist it in to a crazy story! And all before we then have a romantic McDonalds 20 mins later!”

Mr Stokes, the vice-captain of England’s Test team, re-tweeted his wife’s post with a kissing face emoji.

The photographs were taken at the 50th Professional Cricketers’ Association Awards, held at the Camden Roundhouse on 2 October.

Ms Stokes shared a smiling photo of her and her husband at the event, where he was given the PCA Player of the Year award, and another of her appearing to “squish” her husband’s face.

The couple married in October 2017 and have two children together.

Last year, Mr Stokes was acquitted of affray following a brawl near a nightclub in Bristol, where he said he had been defending a gay couple from homophobic abuse.

He was fined £30,000 and handed an eight-match ban by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for bringing the sport into disrepute with the incident.

Tom Harrison, chief executive of the England and Wales Cricket Board said: "We have spoken with both Clare and Ben - as well as others in attendance - who have all clarified the innocent context behind the still photographs taken at last week’s PCA Awards. Whilst it is not the case here, we recognise that for the millions who are impacted by domestic violence, this is a very real and serious issue."

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: "No specific allegations have been received relating to the Camden Roundhouse on 2 October."

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