Five year football banning order after man threw smoke bomb at Doncaster Rovers fans

Jack Potts, 18, of Searby Road, admitted causing alarm or distress by using threatening or abusive words or behaviour, in an appearance at North Lincolnshire Magistrates Court on March 10.

The court heard the incident happened as fans waited to board a train at Scunthorpe Railway Station and that the device had landed at the feet of the police.

The terms of the banning order prevent him entering a designated area for four hours prior to and six hours after the kick off of any home match.

When Scunthorpe United play away from home, he is also banned from entering the home club’s town or city for four hours prior to and six hours after kick off.

If that match is taking place in London, he is banned from going within a five mile radius of the stadium concerned.

He also was given a six week curfew and ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work. He must also pay £85 costs, with a £60 Government-imposed victims’ surcharge.

Welcoming the sentence, football officer PC Paul Hurrell said: “This is another positive step in combating this kind of behaviour and sends a clear message that it will not be tolerated.”

The area Potts is prohibited from is bordered by M181 and A1077 to the west, along the A1077 through to the roundabout at the bottom of Sawcliffe Hill along the A1029 into Scunthorpe and then along the Queensway down to Scotter Road, but to also include the whole part of Berkeley and Lodge Moors Estate to the east of Scotter Road (save for when attending directly to and from his place of work).