Police confirm they HAVE been chasing Barton for an interview over his tweets

Police have confirmed they are trying to speak to footballer Joey Barton in connection with his controversial tweets - after he accused officers of attempting to 'intimidate me and my family' in recent days.

Cheshire Constabulary confirmed they had received 'reports of offences under the Communications Act' and had sought to make 'multiple attempts' at arranging a voluntary interview with a 41-year-old from Liverpool.

Barton had hit out at the service after claiming online to have been approached at 9.30pm one evening when his children were in bed, writing: 'Either it's a shambles or an attempt to intimidate me and my family. Welcome to North Korea.'

He said he had been visited four times in three days by Cheshire cops, who he said had asked for a voluntary interview 'about something I've tweeted'.

The ex-midfielder said in the post that he had given the officers his solicitor's contact details, adding that his lawyer had tried to contact a sergeant at the force but had received no response.

A spokesperson for Cheshire Constabulary confirmed to the PA news agency the force had been contacted by legal representatives, 'but an interview is yet to be confirmed'.

Ex-Manchester City and Newcastle footballer Barton married his childhood sweetheart Georgia McNeil in 2019. The pair have four children together - Cassius, born in 2011, Pieta, born in 2014, Penn, born in 2018 and Etienne, born in 2022.

But he has been criticised in recent months for comments attacking female footballers and pundits.

Barton told his 2.8 million followers on X yesterday: 'I've been visited 4 times in 3 days by Cheshire Police. Asking for a Voluntary interview about something I've tweeted,'

'Including a couple of women police officers knocking at 9.30pm last