'14 lines of cocaine and a few whiskies': Why Paul Gascoigne tried to 'save' Raoul Moat

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

The story of crazed killer Raoul Moat is being retold in a new ITV drama this weekend. But one part of the tragic tale that won't feature is the bizarre intervention of former England star Paul Gascoigne.

Moat, a former nightclub bouncer, shot and wounded ex-girlfriend Sam Stobbart, then 22, killed her new partner Chris Brown, 29, and blinded Pc David Rathbone during a terrifying shotgun rampage in July 2010.

After a week-long manhunt, Moat was surrounded by police on the banks of the River Coquet in the village of Rothbury, Northumberland. READ MORE: Haunted by fame: The top footballers who fought personal struggles as they achieved great success on the pitch And that's when Gazza, then at his most vulnerable during a battle with alcohol and drug addiction, turned up to the tense stand-off in his dressing gown with chicken, lager and a fishing rod.

Gazza recalled the bizarre episode during his ‘Evening with Paul Gascoigne’ talk at Newcastle's Tyne Theatre in 2015. He said: "You've got to realise I'm half cut anyway, sitting in the living room, I've got about six lines [of cocaine] lined up.