Trevor Sinclair returns to BBC after racial offence charge

Sinclair had pleaded guilty to drink-driving and a racially aggravated public order offence on 12 November last year. The court heard he was more than twice the legal drink-drive limit, had asked the arresting officer if he was being arrested because he was black, accused the police of racism and urinated in a police car.

Sinclair continued making racist comments after he was taken to the cells at Blackpool police station. Nick Freeman, representing Sinclair, said the catalyst for his client’s behaviour was being subjected to racism in front of his family while having a meal hours earlier.

Sinclair had been a regular analyst on Football Focus and Match of the Day since retiring from the game in 2008. After he was charged, the BBC said he was employed on a freelance basis and that it had “no scheduled plans to use him on our programmes”.