Inquiry over Hawking 'assault'

Professor Hawking lives in Cambridge

Police are investigating an alleged assault on top British scientist Stephen Hawking.

Detectives are believed to want to question Professor Hawking, author of the best selling A Brief History of Time, about a number of minor injuries he had recently suffered.

On Monday, asked about the alleged assault on Professor Hawking, a spokeswoman for Cambridgeshire Police said: "Police are investigating an allegation of assault on a 62-year-old man from Cambridge."

The world famous physicist is confined to a wheelchair after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease, a muscle-wasting condition, while a student.

The Cambridge University professor can only speak through a computerised voice synthesiser.

Professor Hawking achieved international prominence in 1988 with A Brief History of Time which examined the origin of the Universe.