NOT for the first time we saw sports stars – and footballers in particular – falling foul of social media and the instant access of the general public to a camera this week.

Aston Villa forward Gabriel Agbonlahor was the first to be caught on camera when taking a club-sanctioned break to Dubai with team-mate Micah Richards.

The ex-England man was snapped smoking a shisha pipe during his trip during the international fortnight break, prompting a furore back in Birmingham and a club investigation, though the decision has since been taken not to discipline Agbonlahor.

Then, this week, there was a similar outcry across Twitter and Facebook when Wanderers duo Liam Trotter and David Wheater decided to make an inappropriate finger gesture to a club cameraman filming their entrance to Griffin Park live on Periscope.

A single screen shot later flooded Twitter feeds, including my own while covering the game at Brentford.

A sign of how fast modern media works came when Trotter was out to face the assembled press post-match to issue an apology and, to their credit, the club acted swiftly to discipline the pair before 9am the next morning.

Wheater then made his own apology to The Bolton News on Wednesday and the matter had been dealt with.

Both players were contrite and quick to stress it was a joke that had backfired on them and I personally doubt there was any malice involved at all.

But it is easy to see why they were questioned when, like Agbonlahor and Villa, the team is at the wrong end of the table and meant to be fully focused on fighting relegation.

Maybe if Wanderers were at the top end of the Championship, it might not have been the subject of such scrutiny.

Nevertheless, it was another example of how one simple error of judgement can backfire in the digital age.

Whereas once it was only the paparazzi sports stars and celebrities had to be on the lookout for, almost everyone now has instant access to a camera on their smart phones.

Before the likes of Agbonlahor can even put a shisha pipe to his lips, budding David Baileys are waiting to take a snapshot.

Of course, sports stars like everyone else are only human and can make mistakes.

But they have to be extra careful in the public eye.

Take Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere. No stranger to controversy over the years, the talented ex-Wanderers loanee was in the national papers again this week when he was pictured outside a London night club where what is club described as a ‘fracas’ took place.

There was no suggestion the England star was involved but just being there put him in the spotlight again.

Some may ask why he was out so late as a professional sportsman but surely everyone is entitled to a life away from the glare of fame?

And Wilshere is currently on the way back from injury so he did not have a game to worry about.

Others would argue that being in the public eye and having to watch your every move is a small price to pay for being in the privileged position of doing a job you love and, in most cases, getting well paid for it.

Whichever view is held, the warning signs have again been there for footballers this week – think before you act.

You never know who is watching.