London, Nov 29: A couple of opportunistic prostitutes stole thousands of pounds in cash from a jacket belonging to former Manchester United and Northern Ireland star George Best after he took them back to a plush London hotel, a British newspaper said today. Best, 57, was stung on Wednesday, just 24 hours after he allegedly smashed up his 31-year-old wife's Mercedes car after accusing her of having an affair, the Sun tabloid said.

"A man alleged that 2,000 pounds had been stolen from his jacket pocket," the paper quoted a police spokesman.

The Sun was in no doubt who the man was. "Best robbed by hookers," screamed its front page headline. Police were still looking for the alleged culprits, the paper said.

The former European player of the year has been blighted by personal problems over the past year. He has failed to give up drinking despite undergoing a liver transplant and prior to Wednesday's alleged incident, has been accused of cheating on his wife on a number of occasions, causing her to throw him out their house.

Best was one of the stars of the Manchester United team that won the European Cup in 1968 and a combination of talent and good looks made him Britain's first 'superstar' player. Bureau Report