Fewer Luton Town supporters arrested last season

Police at a football match. Picture: Jane Barlow/PA

The number of arrests made at football games across England and Wales reached a nine-year high

Fewer Luton Town supporters were arrested at football matches last season, new figures show.

Offences include throwing missiles, violent and public disorder, alcohol-related offences, and ticket touting.

The National Police Chiefs Council said the police "are continuing to take positive action" to reduce a rising trend in disorder at football matches.

Home Office figures show police arrested 16 Luton Town supporters throughout the 2022-23 campaign – down from 22 the season before.

Nationally, 2,264 football-related arrests were made, up from what was already an eight-year high of 2,198 in the previous campaign.

This included 200 arrests for the possession of class A drugs – which was added as an offence under the Football Spectators Act in November – and 101 arrests in England and Wales relating to the World Cup in Qatar. For Luton Town fans, two arrests were made for possessing class A drugs.

Chief Constable Mark Roberts, NPCC lead for football policing, said: "It is encouraging to see a slight reduction in the number of reported incidents, but we must put this into context and remember that the level of disorder we are seeing across football continues to be much higher than before the pandemic.”

In 2022-23, incidents were reported at 1,516 of 3,024 monitored matches (50 per cent) – slightly lower than the 53 per cent of matches in 2021-22.

Douglas Mackay, sports lead prosecutor at the Crown Prosecution Service, said football banning orders are "one of the many tools available to the justice system" to help reduce disorder at football matches.

A record 197 fans were arrested for throwing a missile across England and Wales – of them, one was a Luton Town supporter.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said: "It is so important for our communities that fans can go to watch their club play without fear for their safety. Hooligans are not true fans, and have no place in the game.

"With more people banned from football for their criminal acts and illegal drug taking being tackled, we will continue to make football safer for supporters up and down the country."