Football fans attending matches in Cumbria are being urged to act responsibly after incidents early into the new season.
Seven people were arrested on Saturday (30 August) for separate incidents before, during and following the League Two fixture between Barrow and Fleetwood Town at the SO Legal Stadium.
The arrests included Class A drug possession, common assault and possession of flares.
Superintendent Matt Pearman, Cumbria Constabulary, said: “We know most supporters, both home and away, attend matches and behave responsibly.
“Sadly, there are a minority of people who view a football match as an opportunity to engage in criminal activity. Their behaviour, which places the safety of other supporters at risk, will not be tolerated.
“Our officers work closely with our county’s football clubs and police forces from other areas of the country to ensure we target those who pose a risk to others.
“We will continue to take positive action, just as we did at the Barrow vs Fleetwood match, to ensure the safety of all supporters.
“We want all supporters to have a positive matchday experience when attending games in our county, regardless of the match result.
“Not only do those who commit criminal activity risk being arrested, we will look at all available legislation to prevent future offending – including the use of football banning orders.”
Four people were charged following arrests on Saturday 16 August in Barrow. They are:
- Peter Fones, aged 48, of Lesh Lane, Barrow, was charged with use of threatening / abusive / insulting words / behaviour with intent to cause fear of / provoke unlawful violence. He is set to appear at South Cumbria Magistrates’ Court on 15 October 2025.
- Lee Heffron, aged 43, of Hatfield Avenue, Fleetwood, was charged with use of threatening / abusive / insulting words / behaviour with intent to cause fear of / provoke unlawful violence. He is set to appear at South Cumbria Magistrates’ Court on 13 October 2025.
- Matthew Smith, aged 21, from Willow Grove, Hambleton, Poulton-le-Fylde, was charged with possession of a flare at a sporting event. He is set to appear at South Cumbria Magistrates’ Court on 13 October 2025.
- A 17-year-old boy, from Barrow, was charged with possession of Class A drugs. He is set to appear at Barrow Youth Court on 1 October 2025.
There were three further arrests made with all three being bailed pending further enquiries:
- A 17-year-old boy, from Thornton-Cleveleys, was arrested on suspicion of Section 4 public order offence and possession of a flare at a sporting event.
- A 16-year-old boy, from Fleetwood, was arrested on suspicion of possession of a flare at a sporting event.
- A 15-year-old boy, from Barrow, was arrested on suspicion of a public order offence.