Three Lions lose their underpants

After getting a 4-1 thrashing from Germany, the England players suffered yet another humiliation when their underpants were stolen from their luxury rooms.

The players subsequently complained to the elite team of FA security staff who were meant to be guarding them and their gear in South Africa.

Cops were called in and CCTV showed cleaners carrying bagfuls of loot from the players' 1,000 pounds-a-night suites.

Wayne Rooney and skipper Steven Gerrard were among those targeted during the four-day pilfering spree at the Royal Marang Hotel near Rustenburg, where Fabio Capello's squad was based.

Four men and a woman were arrested after 7,000 pounds worth of stolen gear was found at their homes, The Sun reports.

Among the haul was 485 pounds in sterling, an unidentified player's FIFA gold medal and designer clothes including socks. There were also souvenirs of England's dire opening game, the USA shirts swapped for England ones by the Yanks.

Police spokeswoman Colonel Junior Metsi said: "They were taking anything they could get their hands on - including the footballers' underwear. They were stealing left, right and centre from the players."

The cleaners were arrested and quizzed as the England team left the hotel to fly to Bloemfontein on Saturday for the game against Germany on Sunday.