By DAVID NORRIE

BOOZED-UP England cricket hero Andrew Flintoff had to be rescued by frantic hotel staff after toppling into the sea in the dark.

The former skipper grabbed a pedalo from a beach near the team's 5-star Caribbean hotel at 4am after an eight-hour bender with team-mates.

He dragged it out to sea and was seen rocking it from side to side before it capsized.

The embarrassing incident came just hours after Flintoff, known as Freddie, scored a duck in England's defeat to New Zealand in their World Cup opener.

Freddie and four of his team-mates were disciplined following the bender at the Rumours club in St Lucia's Rodney Bay area for breaking a midnight curfew.

Flintoff, 29, and fellow Ashes hero Ian Bell were fined. Fast bowlers Liam Plunkett, James Anderson and Jon Lewis were docked part of their match fee.

The fines were handed out by head coach Duncan Fletcher at a meeting of the team's players and management.

An insider said: "They've let their country down. They've only been away a fortnight and this happens."

Other team members avoided being fined because they returned to the hotel at a reasonable hour.

A source close to Flintoff told the News of the World: "He's full of shame. He said he can't believe he's done it.

"He was out first ball in the game against New Zealand and has said he should have been focused on the next game. The team need to let their hair down once in a while but this was going too far."

A source at the Rex St Lucian hotel said: "Freddie could have drowned out there.

"It's rough in that sea at night and it's not particularly helpful if you've had plenty to drink.

"But Freddie feels ashamed for what he has done, he's full of regret.

"He knows a lot of young fans look up to him and he hasn't set the best example.

"It's fair to say the security guard shouldn't have let Freddie out but who's going to say no to Fred? You can't stop him when he wants to do something."

"Freddie was drinking beer as if it was going out of fashion. It was just like the scenes when they won the Ashes in 2005.

"Flintoff's perfomance was far superior off the pitch than it was on. He should have been up early in the nets practising, not drinking until the early hours.

"The other players weren't much better. They were all over the place. The last thing on their mind was cricket."

The club was packed with holidaymakers and members of England's supporters.

One disgruntled Barmy Army fan said: "I have spent thousands of pounds out here to pay for the tournament.

"I thought we had an outside chance of winning the competition but we will be lucky to beat Canada today at this rate."

It's not the first time Flintoff has hit the headlines for his boozing.

After England's amazing Ashes victory against Australia in 2005 the team went on a marathon drinking session and turned up drunk for their official reception at Downing Street the following day.

Flintoff, then captain, was pictured red-eyed on the bus during the team's victory parade through London. He later denied claims he had peed in a flowerbed in No10's garden.

Flintoff said later: "I'd warned my wife Rachael what was likely to happen if we won and she went to bed and left me in the hotel bar.

"I had most of my closest mates there and I didn't want the night to end. I was drinking pints of Lancaster Bomber.

"I drank and drank and drank. I went up to my room around breakfast time and got ready for the reception we were due to have before we got into the open-top bus. I had a bath, put my blazer on and had another bottle of lager before we set off."

But his antics seem tame next to other England cricketers, not least Ian Botham, the legendary all-rounder Flintoff is often compared to.

Botham hit the headlines in 1986 when model Lindy Field told how she had a cocaine-fuelled romp with him in Barbados, saying he broke the bed during sex.

And in 2001 it was revealed Botham had had a two-year affair with blonde Australian waitress Kylie Verrells behind wife Kathy's back.

In 1988 Mike Gatting was sacked as England captain after bedding barmaid Louise Shipman at the team hotel just hours before a Test match against the West Indies.

In 1997 spinner Phil Tufnell denied claims he had smoked cannabis at a bar during England's tour of New Zealand. Fast bowler Darren Gough admitted being drunk during a Test against South Africa in 2000.

And in 2002 batsman Graham Thorpe's wife Nicky claimed he had cheated on her seven times during their marriage.

Additional reporting: JAMES WEATHERUP and RYAN SABEY