ENGLAND coach Terry Venables is to investigate "at the earliest opportunity" claims of damage done to the Cathay Pacific aircraft carrying his players home from Hong Kong.

Police are looking into the complaint and Football Association spokesman Steve Double promised: "If any action needs to be taken, it will be." It is not known if any of the England party were involved in the incident.

A Cathay Pacific statement confirmed that the airline had launched an inquiry into the trouble on an early-morning flight to Heathrow yesterday.

FA chief executive Graham Kelly, who was not available for comment last night, received the fax of complaint from Cathay Pacific at 4.25 yesterday afternoon - over an hour after they first contacted Lancaster Gate.

Double refused to discuss the nature of the allegations nor if any player could lose his place in the Euro 96 tournament over the matter. "No complaint had been received after the team disembarked, nor in the intervening period," he said.

A spokesman for the airline revealed that the damage to the aircraft was "minimal". "It is now on its way back to Hong Kong," he added.

Eric Hall - agent for England midfielder Dennis Wise, who was on the Far East tour - said he would be meeting with the player later, but added: "It'll be about a number of things, not really about what happened on the plane.

"I do know that something happened, but I really can't comment on it. I just can't say anything or who was involved."

Hall added that the Chelsea star had been bitterly disappointed to be left out of the Euro 96 squad by Terry Venables today.