Update

Christian Bale Free After Arrest for Alleged Assault

By Courtney Rubin

UPDATED 07/22/2008 at 11:40 AM EDT • Originally published 07/22/2008 at 09:45 AM EDT

Batman's Christian Bale was arrested in London on Tuesday, following assault allegations reportedly made by his own mother and sister.

He was released from the Belgravia precinct station later in the afternoon with a 10-man police escort, in a blacked-out silver Mercedes people carrier. Bale is to return to police in September, pending further inquiry, a police spokesperson tells PEOPLE.

The actor, 34, allegedly lashed out at his mother Jenny, 61, and sister Sharon, 40, on Sunday at London's Dorchester hotel, where he was staying before Monday's U.K. premiere of The Dark Knight.

According to Britain's The Sun newspaper, the women reported the incident in Hampshire on Monday, and the case was turned over to London officers.

It is a policy in England to arrest a suspect before questioning him in connection to a possible crime. Bale has not been formally charged.

Monday – the morning after the alleged incident – Bale appeared on GMTV, a U.K. morning show. Bloggers called the actor grumpy, but a GMTV spokesman told PEOPLE that "he didn't seem on edge."

Bale is scheduled to be in Barcelona on Thursday for the record-breaking film's Spanish-language premiere.

Story developing ...

• With reporting by PHIL BOUCHER, MONIQUE JESSEN, MARI KASANUKI and PETE NORMAN