Express & Star

'Drunken behaviour, assaulting police and carrying flares' - More than 600 fans arrested at West Midlands football grounds

Police have carried out more than 600 arrests on supporters at West Midlands football clubs in the past three seasons.

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Figures released today by West Midlands Police reveal a total of 633 arrests at football stadiums in our region over a three-year period

A total of 633 arrests have been made at Wolves, Albion, Walsall, Aston Villa and Birmingham City in the 2014/15, 2015/16 and 2016/17 seasons.

The offences ranged from grievous bodily harm to assaulting police officers and carrying flares.

The figures have been released today by West Midlands Police following a Freedom of Information request.

They come after the Express & Star last week revealed Wolves fans were issued more football banning orders in the past year than supporters of any other club in England and Wales.

Birmingham City saw the most arrests carried out at its ground at St Andrews, with people detained 196 times in the three years. Aston Villa came second with 180 arrests made at Villa Park.

Wolves came third in the list, and highest in the Black Country, with 156 arrests carried out at Molineux. Albion came fourth with 69 arrests at the Hawthorns and Walsall came fifth with 32 arrests at Bescot.

The data could not reveal whether the arrests related to home or away supporters. It also included offences that have taken place on the grounds of the stadiums, with one fan at Birmingham being arrested for drink driving.

Police officers were assaulted 14 times across the clubs. Eight arrests were made at Blues for assaulting police, while three were made at Wolves and one was made each at Albion, Walsall and Villa.

Nine arrests were made at Wolves for ‘GBH or wounding’ while one arrest was made each at Aston Villa and Birmingham City.

Supporters were detained on two occasions at Wolves for carrying out ‘indecent or racist chanting’ under section three of the Football Order Act 1991.

Police also carried out one arrest at Villa and Albion for this offence.

The most common offence at Wolves was ‘throwing missiles’, where 23 arrests were made under section two of the FOA.

At Albion, the most common offence was causing ‘harassment, alarm or distress’, where 12 arrests were made under section 5 of the Pubic Order Act 1986.

The most arrests made at Walsall was for ‘violent disorder’, with 11 arrests made under section 2 of the POA.

At Villa, the most common offence was for fans being ‘drunk and disorderly’.

At Birmingham, 35 arrests were made for Non-Schedule 1 Offences, while 29 were made for ‘affray’ under section 3 of the POA.

Fans were arrested 11 time at Wolves for carrying a firework or flare, while 14 arrests were made at Birmingham and six at Villa for the same offence.