Six teenagers banned from Sunderland stadium over fighting after match

The ban covers the rest of this season's home games.

Six teenagers have been banned from Sunderland’s Stadium of Light for the rest of the season following violence which broke out after a home match last month.

The youths, aged 13 to 17, are suspected to have been part of fighting that erupted outside The Wheatsheaf pub nearby after the 1-1 draw with Luton Town on March 18.

They have since been bailed with conditions which include not entering an exclusion zone around the ground.

The conditions will last an initial three months and cover the remainder of Sunderland’s home fixtures this season, starting with Hull City on Friday.

Northumbria Police said a proactive operation will be in place for those matched to enforce bail conditions and robustly deal with any other youths responsible for disorder.

Inspector Steve Prested said: ‘Violence has no place in our communities and football rivalries are no excuse whatsoever to engage in such activity.

‘We are committed to dealing with anyone intent on causing disorder and continue to do so robustly and as effectively as possible.

‘Following reports we received about the incident on Saturday, March 18, we swiftly launched an investigation aimed at apprehending those responsible.

‘We will always pursue and support any action taken against individuals who do involve themselves in violence.

‘This could potentially result in banning orders which not only prevent you from watching regulated football matches in the UK for a fixed period, but can also affect your future career prospects as they may be disclosed to potential employers through a vetting process or DBS check.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.