Ched Evans' family may 'take action' against Loose Women

The family of footballer Ched Evans have said they may take legal action after a discussion of his rape acquittal on ITV's Loose Women.

The Chesterfield striker was cleared of rape at Cardiff Crown Court after a retrial.

A statement on his website said his family were "considering their legal options" after comments on the chat show on Monday.

A Loose Women spokesperson said they were responding to a complaint.

In 2012, Mr Evans was found guilty of raping a 19-year-old woman in a hotel room in Rhuddlan, Denbighshire, the previous year. He then served half of a five-year prison term

But that conviction was quashed on appeal last April, and on Friday he was found not guilty of the same charge, at Cardiff Crown Court.

The player's website said he had served "30 months for a crime he always denied and has now been exonerated of," and he had "always acknowledged his behaviour was morally unacceptable but consensual".

It added that "opinion is acceptable" but went on to criticise comments by Gloria Hunniford.

A spokesperson for Loose Women said: "We've received a complaint from the father of Ched Evans' partner, to which we are responding."

In a separate incident, North Wales Police is investigating allegations of the complainant in Mr Evans' case being named on social media, despite having the right to lifelong anonymity.