Joey Barton says he's been visited by police 'four times in three days' over his tweets and hits out at 'an attempt to intimidate me and my family'... as he compares the UK to North Korea

Joey Barton has claimed he has been visited by police three times in the last four days and hit out at 'attempts to intimidate me and my family' - before comparing the UK to North Korea. 

The former Manchester City and Newcastle footballer revealed some of his tweets have resulted in multiple police visits at his home this week, with officer asking him for a voluntary interview.

He said the visits occured while his children were asleep and slammed any attempts to 'intimidate' his family, saying the methods were akin to something in North Korea. 

Barton married his childhood sweetheart Georgia McNeil in 2019. The pair have four children together - Cassius, born in 2011, Pieta, born in 2014, Penn, born in 2018 and Etienne, born in 2022. 

'I’ve been visited 4 times in 3 days by Cheshire Police,' he said on X, later adding 'either it’s a shambles or an attempt to intimidate me and my family. Welcome to North Korea.'

Barton told his 2.8 million followers on X: 'I’ve been visited 4 times in 3 days by Cheshire Police. Asking for a Voluntary interview about something I’ve tweeted,'

'Including a couple of women police officers knocking at 9.30pm last night when my kids were in bed. I’ve given them my solicitors information and number. He then called to arrange an interview. No answer, so he left a voice message for the Sergeant who’d visited on the 1st occasion. 

'The last two women didn’t know there had been 3 visits in 3 days, apparently! Either it’s a shambles or an attempt to intimidate me and my family. Welcome to North Korea.'

Barton has kept his relationship with McNeil private but the pair tied the knot during a ceremony at Aynhoe Park country estate in Oxfordshire in 2019.

In 2021, Barton was accused of 'kicking his wife in the head' and causing a 'golf ball-sized lump' during a row at their home in in Kew, south-west London.

However, in 2022 McNeil retracted her allegation opted not to press charges after admitting she was 'drinking heavily' and got the details wrong.

Barton has come under fire this year for his tweets about women working in men's football, infamously claiming female pundits 'shouldn't be talking with any authority' in the sport.

His tirades at women online have also seen him compare pundit Eni Aluko and broadcaster Lucy Ward to notorious serial killers Fred and Rose West, while he claimed that he would score 100 out of 100 penalties against England goalkeeper Mary Earps. 

Last month he enraged fans after aiming abuse at a 17-year-old Patrick Thistle goalkeeper Ava Easdon following the youngster's performance between the sticks in the Sky Sports Cup final and asked 'how is this nonsense on the box'. 

Among Barton's most controversial comments are his claim that it was 'dangerous' for women to work at men's clubs due to them 'having full-blown affairs and costing people marriages'. 

This is not the first time Barton has revealed troubles over his tweets - after posting legal letter from the lawyers of Aluko after he embarked on a rant over the pundit. 

Barton wrote: 'Another day. Another letter from Samuel’s Solicitors.

'Eni Aluko now joining Jeremy Vine and suing me for saying she’s not very good at her job. Interesting that they both are using the same solicitors.

What kind of legal firm sends you Instagram messages? Jokers.'

It came after Barton doubled down on comparing Aluko to Fred and Rose West by comparing her to former leader of the Soviet Union Joseph Stalin. 

He took to X to write: 'On reflection, I feel I’ve been a tad harsh on Eni Aluko by comparing her to Rose West.

'Had a bit of time to consider the impact of my words after @itvfootball big statement.

'She’s clearly in the Joseph Stalin/Pol Pot category. She’s murdered hundreds of thousands of football fans ears in the last few years. Meritocracy Rules!' 

Barton played 435 during an acrimonious career that saw him in the headlines for a series of controversial incidents.

In 2004 Barton jabbed a cigar in the eye of fellow Man City squad member Jason Tandy during a boozy Christmas do.

Barton said his outburst was sparked after youth star Tandy provoked him, setting fire to his T-shirt in the run-up to the scuffle, which led to the footballing bad-boy being fined six weeks' wages and an apology to despondent boss Kevin Keegan.

Four years later and Barton found himself yet again under the spotlight after a training ground brawl with ex-teammate, Ousmane Dabo, which saw wannabe hardman Barton slapped with a six-match ban by the FA in 2008.