Detectives are investigating allegations that the Manchester United footballer Jonny Evans was involved in a scuffle with the boyfriend of the 26-year-old woman who claims to have been raped.

Police have been told that the incident took place in the early hours at the players’ drunken Christmas party at the Great John Street Hotel in Manchester.

It has emerged that it was the boyfriend who raised the alarm, dialling 999, to tell officers that his girlfriend had been attacked in one of the hotel’s 30 guest bedrooms.

Mr Evans, 19, a promising Northern Ireland international, spent the night in police cells. He was questioned yesterday morning by detectives before being released on bail. Earlier more than a dozen forensic science investigators returned to the hotel.

As female officers specialising in sexual offences questioned the alleged victim, guests told how the atmosphere soured in the early hours on the heady mixture of “testosterone, booze and Barry White”. They described how waitresses kept the pink champagne flowing, serving dozens of scantily clad young women, some so drunk that they were falling over.

One described how the hedonistic atmosphere changed in the early hours as a “lot of people became very drunk, boisterous and out of control”.

It was reported last night that Manchester United’s manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, has banned Christmas parties following the rape claim.

Sir Alex gave a green light to the team’s party this year but was said to be “seething” in the wake of the allegations surrounding the behaviour of some of those who attended.

A source at the club was reported as saying: “As far as Sir Alex is concerned the sort of night they had on Monday will be a thing of the past.”

Mr Evans was questioned at Greymare Lane police station before being released soon after 2pm. He left by the rear entrance as Maurice Watkins, the club solicitor, emerged from the front door and drove away in a silver Mini.

The woman involved, believed to be a 26-year-old barmaid from Oxfordshire, has been examined at the St Mary’s sexual assault referral unit in central Manchester and later gave her account to a female officer.

A woman detective, who asked not to be identified, said: “At the moment she is being treated as a complainant in a rape allegation. Police are concerned about rumours of approaches by the media and the girl’s anonymity may be compromised. We are intent on maintaining her anonymity as we would any alleged victims of a sexual offence.”

Wives and girlfriends were not invited on the 15-hour drinking marathon, which began with Christmas lunch and ended in the company of “100 gorgeous girls” at the party at the hotel.

One guest, who asked not to be named, described the scene as a “pulling joint”. “It was a bit of a rough crowd. A lot of the guests were not the type you would normally associate with a United party. It seemed a lot of guys were looking for women, looking for sex. They were trying it on with different women — there was a lot of sexual banter going on. The girls were scantily dressed, not in their normal jeans, but in short skirts.

“A lot of women were falling over after a couple of drinks. By 3am to 4am you could sense a lot of sexual situations were going to take place.”

There were also several scuffles on the dancefloor but these were dismissed as drunken males simply being “loud and mouthy”. There have been suggestions that the girls were handpicked by a small number of trusted women close to the players. Most appeared to have been recruited from the Manchester club scene.

“A lot of girls appeared to have been picked because they knew somebody who knew somebody,” one guest said. “A lot of the girls I have seen around the Sugar Lounge or Living Room, basically in the scene.”

The Nemesis model agency and its rival, Boss Model Management, are often associated with providing glamour at celebrity events. Managements of both companies appeared anxious to distance themselves from the party.

Louise Cliffe, a former Miss Manchester, said that she had been dragged to the party with her agent, Angela De Fouw, and the singer Darren Clinton, who had enterained the players over lunch. She said: “We all had a great time and danced our socks off but for myself and Angela the party was short-lived as we left at 11.30pm.”

Mr Evans lives in Sale, near Manchester, with his parents, Dawn and Thomas, and brother Corry, 17, in a double-fronted, Victorian-styledetached house. Mrs Evans said: “Jonny won’t be making any comment. We have nothing to say. We are aware of what is in the newspapers.”

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said: “A 19-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of rape on Tuesday evening after presenting himself to police. He has been bailed until February 23 pending further inquiries.”