Four US Olympic gold medal swimmers who said they had been robbed in Rio de Janeiro were not victims of crime, the head of the city's civil police says.

Fernando Veloso told reporters that one or more of the men had instead vandalised part of a petrol station and then offered to pay for the damage.

The Americans paid and left after armed security guards intervened, he said.

One guard had justifiably drawn his gun after one of the swimmers began behaving erratically, Mr Veloso added.

Three of the swimmers remain in Brazil. The fourth, Ryan Lochte, returned to the US on Monday.

Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger were prevented from leaving Brazil at Rio de Janeiro airport on Wednesday night and have since been questioned by police. Team-mate James Feigen has also remained in Brazil and says he is co-operating with the authorities.

(BBC)