ALAN PARDEW has launched an astonishing "shape up or ship out" ultimatum to winger Jerome Thomas.

Charlton’s manager had kept his own counsel since the England under-21 international was arrested for a second time in two years following an incident in a Bournemouth pizza takeaway two weeks ago.

In November 2005 Thomas was arrested over claims he assaulted a man in a London bar. He was never charged over the incident.

Pardew kept faith with Thomas, 24, after the incident in Bournemouth and included him in the starting line-up for the 2-2 draw at Colchester on September 15.

But following an ineffective performance he was withdrawn at half-time.

Significantly, Thomas was excluded from the squad against Norwich last Tuesday and Saturday’s 2-0 defeat of Leicester.

Asked about his absence, Pardew said: "That’s down to selection and the mindset of the player. It has nothing to do with what’s happened to him off the field.

"It’s to do with the training ground and the discipline that’s needed to get promotion.

"That player (Thomas) needs to learn very, very quickly that discipline at this club, in terms of how we work, how we lose and how we congratulate each other when we win, is part of a certain etiquette which I demand.

"That is why he is not involved at the minute."