Leicester City will decide within the next 24 hours whether to terminate the contract of Stan Collymore after barely a week. It follows claims that the former England striker let off a fire extinguisher, covering 40 guests with foam, during a night of drunken revelry at the high-class Spanish resort of La Manga.

Several other Leicester players were involved in the incident on Tuesday night, allegedly harassing women, dancing on tables and engaging in generally "unacceptable and irresponsible behaviour" at the piano bar.

The entire team were ordered to leave the training complex by the resort's management yesterday morning. They have been banned indefinitely.

The team arrived back at Gatwick airport yesterday afternoon, and were shepherded home to Leicester in a tinted-window coach.

"They were insulting and rude to people, asking ladies to dance who didn't want to and being obnoxious," said Tony Coles, the managing director of the complex where the England team were based prior to the 1998 World Cup.

"Around a dozen of them were drinking for several hours and they became increasingly loud and drunk. They were jumping on chairs and tables and generally being unruly, upsetting a lot of our other clients. When the entertainment finished, Collymore then decided to let off a fire extinguisher which has caused considerable damage."

"They were insulting and rude to people, asking ladies to dance who didn't want to and being obnoxious.

When the entertainment finished, Collymore then decided to let off a fire extinguisher which has caused considerable damage."

Collymore signed for Leicester from Aston Villa only last Thursday after being ostracised by the Birmingham club following the off-field problems that led to him being treated for clinical depression, most notably the attack on his then girlfriend, the television personality Ulrika Jonsson, in June 1998.

The 29-year-old hailed the move across the midlands as a chance to re-establish himself as one of the England's finest strikers but, with a classic sense of ill-timing and after just one first-team appearance, at Watford last Saturday, he has discredited himself faster than anyone could have imagined.

"Every member of security and witnesses have confirmed this behaviour," Coles maintained. "We have been visited by over 250 teams since opening in 1998 and there have never been any problems until now. Unfortunately Stan Collymore and a few others have let down their club very badly."

The Leicester manager Martin O'Neill had been due to join his players in Spain last night after organising a three-day break at the 1,400-acre complex in southeast Spain as part of their preparations for the League Cup final against Tranmere Rovers on Sunday week, for which Collymore is cup-tied.

In O'Neill's absence, his assistant John Robertson was placed in charge, along with the coaches Paul Franklin and Steve Walford.

O'Neill, who immediately launched an internal inquiry, said: "The idea was to go for some light-hearted fun and serious training, as well as giving Stan an opportunity to integrate as one of the lads.

"I don't know exactly what has gone on because I was not there and there are always two sides to the story. But if any of the players have been in breach of club discipline they will be dealt with seriously. They have a responsibility when representing the club and it's something I won't tolerate.

"Maybe high jinks are understandable but, against that, if a fire extinguisher has been used and property damaged the people involved will pay for it. It's the least we can expect. The players should have known to behave themselves and you do not need to ask me if we will be considering disciplinary action, whether it's Stan or anybody."

O'Neill insisted on having several "safeguard" clauses written into Collymore's contract to stipulate the club would not tolerate misbehaviour. They must now decide whether to abandon Collymore. However they are more likely to impose a fine of two weeks' wages - Stg £30,000 - the maximum allowed under Professional Footballers' Association guidelines.

The English Football Association indicated it would not take action despite the clampdown on indiscipline that has seen four Premiership clubs, five players and a coach charged with misconduct during a damaging week for the game's image.