A TV producer poured a bucket of ice over a Channel 4 boss he accused of axing Countdown queen Carol Vorderman.

Steve Roberts, 38, shouted `This is for sacking Carol' before drenching Channel 4 daytime boss Helen Warner at a glitzy awards bash.

Mr Roberts, from Urmston, then walked outside to smoke a cigarette.  He was later arrested and spent the night in the cells.

Bosses at ITV Granada, where freelancer Mr Roberts worked on the Party Politics show and Granada Reports, suspended him. He later resigned.

A source at the black-tie ceremony, held at a top London hotel, said Mr Roberts appeared to be `cool as a cucumber' as he approached Helen Warner.

He said: "He strolled over, picked up the ice box off her table and said `Hello Helen'. She said hello and he replied `This is for sacking Carol' and launched the bucket over her.

Drenched

"She screamed some abuse at him, but he just put the box back on the table and walked off. She was drenched."

The incident took place at the Broadcast Awards at the swanky Grosvenor House Hotel in Park Lane, Mayfair.

It is understood the hotel manager intervened following the incident. Mr Roberts is thought to have apologised and offered to pay for Ms Warner's dry cleaning but the police were called.

Last year Ms Warner was at the centre of a storm after it emerged number cruncher Carol Vorderman was leaving the show.

Reports claimed Ms Warner had offered her a `take it or leave it' pay cut of 90 per cent.

As a result, Cambridge graduate Ms Vorderman, 47, quit - prompting fury from many of the show's viewers. Known as the show's numbers queen she had spent 26 years wowing audiences with her mathematical genius.

The posh ceremony was presented by Welsh comic Rob Brydon, star of BBC One show Gavin And Stacey. It is recognised as one of the highlights in the TV awards calendar. All the awards had been handed over when the incident happened at 11.50pm on Wednesday.

Mr Roberts was on a table with workers from Granada Reports. The news programme did not pick up any prizes. It is thought he had been drinking.

Released

Following the incident both Roberts and Warner were taken to Charing Cross police station. Roberts was held in a cell for about four hours before being released.

A spokesman for ITV said: "A freelance journalist for ITV Granada was involved in an incident with a Channel 4 employee at an awards ceremony and as a result this person is no longer working for us.

"ITV has issued a personal apology to the Channel 4 staff member concerned."

A spokesman for Channel 4 described the attack as `unprovoked'.

He added: "The man in question was subsequently arrested and has been cautioned."

Roberts was suspended as soon as ITV Granada bosses heard about the fracas on Thursday. He then handed his resignation in after returning to Manchester.

Carol Vorderman was unavailable for comment.

Countdown is now hosted by Sky Sports presenter Jeff Stelling, 53, and 22-year-old Oxford graduate Rachel Riley.