WALES boss Mark Hughes insisted yesterday that he would not slap a curfew on his players despite the Craig Bellamy race row storm.

But Hughes hinted that he may have lost some of the sacred trust he had placed in his international stars. Newcastle United star Bellamy is to appear in court in connection with a public order offence.

The 23-year-old striker voluntarily met police yesterday over an alleged incident at 12.40am on Monday at the Millennium Plaza in Cardiff.

Today, a South Wales Police spokesman said: "A 23-year-old man has been reported for summons in relation to a public order offence. He is to appear at Cardiff Magistrates' Court at a date to be fixed."

Bellamy through his solicitors has denied "any racist comments were made in relation to this incident".

Hughes will now decide whether Bell-amy is "mentally and physically" right to face Azerbaijan in the crucial Euro 2004 qualifier at the Millennium Stadium in just three days' time.

He will also take "advice" from FAW chiefs who may now come under pressure to suspend the striker, with St James' Park already launching its own investigation.

Hughes, though, tried to calm the situation saying: "I've never been one for curfews and there wasn't one on this particular evening.

"The players were not restricted to staying in camp. In that respect, they've done nothing against what I've told them, so I have not got a problem with that.

I don't know the full circumstances of what happened alth-ough there was some kind of incident on Sunday night."

As for Bellamy's inclusion in the squad, he stated: "It's important that Craig is back with us and starts training as quickly as possible and that he puts this to one side.

"I just have to look at him physically and mentally and decide if I think he's ready."

Hughes, though, insists that the controversy surrounding Bellamy won't affect the rest of his team's preparations.

"You don't anticipate problems like this before you come to camp but it's happened earlier in the week so it won't have an impact on the actual preparations."

Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd has promised to punish Bellamy if he is found guilty of any wrong doing during the 'incident'.

While Shepherd is refusing to pre-judge the situation, he insisted any player found guilty of unsuitable behaviour either on or off the pitch would be punished.

"Obviously at this stage, we do not know all the facts and until we do, we do not want to say too much," said Shepherd.

"But I would not be doing my job if I did not try to clamp down on any incident which sees the name of the club dragged down."

Hughes, though, believes that Cardiff-born Bellamy is a victim of his own sparkling success on the pitch.

"Craig will also be in the limelight because of the manner of his performances ," Hughes pointed out. "He attracts attention because he's such a good player and that comes with a price because he'll always be in the public eye."