IT hasn't been a great week for Saints striker James Beattie.

Having suffered a defeat at the hands of fellow Premiership strugglers Norwich, then kicked out of a bar the following day, the Saints star's £117,000 top-of-the-range Lamborghini has been sidelined after an accident.

The latest headache to befall the striker happened as he made his way to training yesterday afternoon when his brand new sports car ended up in collision with the back of a Volkswagen Golf.

The luxury car was left wedged under the tow bar of the Golf and needed help from mechanics at a nearby garage to unhook it.

Neither driver was injured in the accident, which happened at about 1.20pm at Redbridge roundabout at the bottom of the M271.

Beattie said: "It was an unfortunate accident in slow-moving traffic. The matter is now in the hands of our insurance companies."

The driver of the Golf, a 63-year-old local man who asked not to be identified, said the star striker was very reasonable about the incident.

He said: "He was very nice about it and couldn't have been more reasonable. It was unfortunate and only a minor accident. He was fine and so was I."

Onlooker Gary Morrison was one of the workers from the garage who helped free the silver Lamborghini.

Mr Morrison said: "I think I would be gutted if that was my car. We just went over to help get his car off the tow bar, which we managed to do in the end."

Beattie only recently had his licence returned, having been banned for drink-driving in September 2002.

The car is thought to be the first purchase by the 26-year-old striker since being allowed back behind the wheel.

The crash adds to a pretty bad week for Beattie who, as previously reported in the Daily Echo, was cautioned by police after a bar brawl in Bournemouth the day after his team went down 2-1 to Norwich.

The manager of Bar Med claimed trouble flared on Sunday night when the striker "stuck his head in a bowl of muffins" before drinks were spilled and words exchanged.

The group and Beattie were thrown out of the pub. Beattie has since rung the bar to apologise for his behaviour.