LONDON (REUTERS) - West Ham United defender James Tomkins has been charged with resisting arrest and being drunk and disorderly after an incident at a nightclub, police said on Monday.

The 24-year-old was arrested in the early hours of Sunday morning at a nightclub in his home town of Brentwood, just outside London.

"Police were called by security staff... shortly before 12.30am on Sunday following reports of a disturbance," Essex police said in a statement.

"Officers arrived and arrested James Tomkins before later charging him with one count of assaulting a police officer, one count of resisting arrest and one count of being drunk and disorderly in a public place."

The former England Under-21 international was released on bail to appear in court on Jan 9.

Tomkins featured in West Ham's 3-1 defeat at Manchester United on Saturday, a result that left his team one place and one point above the Premier League relegation zone.