Refereeing body PGMOL says it is taking new allegations against Premier League official David Coote “very seriously”.

A video emerged earlier this week showing Coote appearing to make derogatory comments about former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, and the 42-year-old has been suspended pending the outcome of an investigation.

European football’s governing body UEFA has also launched an investigation and suspended Coote.

On Wednesday, The Sun published photos purportedly taken during this summer’s European Championships, which showed Coote sniffing white powder through a rolled-up US dollar bill.

Coote refereed matches at the European Championships.

A PGMOL spokesman said: “We have been made aware of these allegations and take them very seriously.

“David Coote remains suspended pending a full investigation.

“David’s well-being remains of paramount importance to us and we are committed to providing him with the continued necessary support he requires during this time. We are unable to comment further at this time.”

The Sun said the images of Coote were sent to friends several times during the tournament.

The BBC has not independently verified the authenticity of the images and videos and has contacted Coote for comment.

UEFA said it had launched an investigation into possible breaches of its disciplinary rules and had “appointed an ethics and disciplinary inspector”.

The European governing body said Coote had been withdrawn from an international competition this week, adding: “The UEFA Referees Committee has immediately suspended David Coote until further notice on 11 November (before the upcoming UEFA match) following its finding of inappropriate conduct by him.”