West Ham United player Demba Ba 'racially abused'

Demba Ba scored twice for West Ham on Sunday

West Ham has said one of its players was racially abused at an end-of-season dinner during which trouble flared.

BBC football correspondent Dan Roan said forward Demba Ba was the target of the abuse during Monday's gala dinner at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London.

Trouble is thought to have broken out at the £275-a-head event in Park Lane when a player refused to sign an autograph for a supporter.

The Metropolitan Police said no arrests were made.

West Ham co-owner David Sullivan said the incident centred on a drunken fan racially abusing a player.

Mr Sullivan told Sky Sports News: "It was one individual who had too much to drink, sadly a problem in British society.

"A player was racially abused by the same drunken supporter, which is not acceptable.

"Sadly one drunken supporter let the club down."

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "We were called at 2115 BST to reports of a disturbance at the Grosvenor House Hotel in Park Lane.

"Officers attended. There were no offences alleged and no arrests."

West Ham's relegation to the Championship was confirmed on Sunday, the day before the dinner, with a 3-2 defeat away to fellow strugglers Wigan Athletic - Ba scoring both goals for the Hammers.

Just over an hour after the match, the club's owners confirmed they had parted company with manager Avram Grant.