His £40,000 sports car was vandalised outside his home in Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, and a Northumbria Police spokesman said the complaint had been made by the owner.

"Police received reports of damage to the paintwork of a vehicle," the spokesman said.

"A full investigation is under way."

The police inquiry comes as a newspaper in Newcastle today reported that an anonymous letter had been sent to the Professional Game Match Officials Limited, which employs all professional referees in England, making serious allegations of a personal nature against Mr Clattenburg.

A spokesman for PGMO said: "It is inappropriate to comment on the content of an anonymous letter."

The new twist comes just days after Mr Clattenburg appeared before Newcastle County Court over an alleged £5,000 debt.

Electrical supplier Jarel UK Ltd has taken legal action against him to try to recover an alleged £5,530.83 debt from his company, MC Electrical Services Ltd.

This comes weeks after another of Mr Clattenburg's companies, MC Electrical Retail NE Ltd, was wound up by a court over a reportedly unpaid £60,000 debt to his former friend, John Hepworth.

Only last week Mr Clattenburg, the youngest referee to officiate in the Premier League aged 29, was suspended from refereeing duties - missing Sunday's Community Shield clash between Manchester United and Portsmouth - pending an investigation into his financial affairs.