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A man has been arrested after he allegedly racially abused Chelsea striker Demba Ba on Facebook.

Demba Ba was the target of the alleged abuse (GettyImages)

The man, a 39-year-old from Gateshead, near Newcastle, was detained on suspicion of posting racist remarks about Ba, a former Newcastle striker. Police said he had been arrested on suspicion of racially-aggravated harassment and then bailed pending further inquiries.

"Police received a complaint about an offensive message posted on Facebook earlier this month," a Northumbria police spokesman said. "A 39-year-old Gateshead man has been arrested on suspicion of racially-aggravated harassment and has been bailed pending further inquiries.''

Ba, who signed for Chelsea earlier this month, is expected to return to Newcastle to face his old team at St James' Park this weekend.

Information from the Press Association was used in this report