Coventry Bees, the visitors to Foxhall tonight (start time 7.30pm), arrive with controversy surrounding one of their young American stars who was arrested in California at the weekend (writes Steve Waller).

Coventry Bees, the visitors to Foxhall tonight (start time 7.30pm), arrive with controversy surrounding one of their young American stars who was arrested in California at the weekend (writes Steve Waller).

A statement released on the Bees official website says: "Bees star Billy Janniro is denying charges made against him in America.

Janniro, 23, was arrested over the weekend in Auburn, Northern California and charged with three offences, suspicion of a sex act, furnishing alcohol and contributing to the delinquency of minors, after complaints from two 17-year-old girls.

The age of consent in America is 18, and Janniro has been released on $10,000 bail.

His friend, Brandon Lee Dodd, 21, was arrested on suspicion of rape and another sex act – along with furnishing alcohol to minors and contributing to the delinquency of minors – and was released on $50,000 bail.

Janniro was back in the States on a compulsory domestic return and has ridden at Auburn on both the last two Friday nights.

The charges relate to incidents after the North v South meeting on July 18, with Janniro and Dodd arrested following last Friday's National Championship round.

Three other men, whose names have not been released, also face possible charges.

Janniro said: "This is a big shock and I deny doing what I am supposed to have done."

Janniro is due to appear at court on Monday August 11 at 8.30am, but he is not restricted from leaving the country in the meantime."

However, he will not be at Foxhall tonight as he injured his ankle in last Friday's National Championship round and the Bees will use the rider replacement facility to cover his rides.

Also missing is Janniro's fellow countryman, Ryan Fisher, who has also stayed in the states, after returning for the championships, to see a specialist regarding his long standing shoulder problems. Eastbourne's Joonas Kylmakorpi, a former Witch, has been booked to guest for Fisher.

Skipper Billy Hamill, who won Friday's meeting, leads the Bees into action against the Witches in this Elite league A clash, after the original attempt to stage the meeting was abandoned after just one race on May 12.

The Ipswich team will be unchanged from the one beaten by a makeshift Poole team last week, with the exception that Leigh Lanham rides at number six, in the floating reserve position.

Witches team manager Mike Smillie is expecting another tough fight saying: "All our meetings are tough these days, but I'm also expecting this to be an interesting meeting.

"Coventry effectively have three World class rider leading them, with Lee Richardson and Andreas Jonsson providing a potent top three alongside former World champion Billy Hamill."

"Witches fans have maybe not seen the best of Lee and Andreas round Foxhall in the past, as both have not been prolific scorers on previous visits, so our success or failure tonight could well depend on how well they go".

Ipswich are now bottom of the league, after Belle Vue won at home against Poole on Monday, to overtake them. This was despite the best efforts of both Scott Nicholls and Daniel Nermark, who guested for the Pirates.

Tonight's line-ups

Ipswich: J Hampel, F Eriksson, C Boyce, D Nermark, S Nicholls, L Lanham, K Jansson.

Coventry: B Hamill, r/r for B Janniro, L Richardson, S Robson, A Jonsson, J Bunyan, J Kylmakorpi