Northamptonshire man among 28 charged following Leeds police probe into football hooliganism

A 33-year-old Northamptonshire man has been charged with violent disorder following crowd trouble at a Championship football match last year.

Ben Smith, 33, of The Severn, Daventry, is among 28 people due in court after West Yorkshire CID's six-month investigation into bust-ups at Leeds' clash with Birmingham last year.

Operation Bandshot identified and tracked down those charged following a number of public appeals over the shocking scenes inside and outside Elland Road on October 19.

Local officers described the violence as the worst seen at the ground in a decade.

All those charged — 26 men aged between 18 and 58 together with two 16-year-old youths from the West Midlands and Staffordshire who cannot be named for legal reasons — are all due to appear at Leeds Magistrates court on June 16, 17 and 18.

Police also issued CCTV images of three more suspects they are still attempting to identify.

Bottles and cones thrown as stewards and police officers were assaulted inside the stadium during the match and disturbances continued for 45 minutes after the match, spilling out of the ground.

Detective superintendent Jaz Khan, head of crime for Leeds District, said: "These were some truly appalling scenes that all genuine fans of the game, regardless of team loyalties, will have no hesitation in condemning as having no place in football."

Ten people were arrested on the day, with two men from Leeds subsequently charged with offences, while four males from Birmingham and Lincolnshire were given community resolutions.

The full list of 26 adults charged iincludes 19 from the West Midlands, five from Yorkshire, one from Northamptonshire and one from Derbyshire:

John Prestage, 24, of Nottingham Road, Ilkeston; Craig Ratcliffe, 45, of Kimberley Road, Solihull; Callum Walker-Jackson, 21, of Pear Tree Road, Birmingham; Steven Andrew Snr, 34, of Stainland Road, Elland; Dillon Sunner, 24, of Lodge Hill, Tutbury, Staffordshire.

Ben Smith, 33, of The Severn, Daventry, Northamptonshire; Josh Sherratt, 23, of Longshaw Grove, Birmingham; John Chambers, 58, of Windsor Road, Bournville, Birmingham; Warren Miles, 50, of Hopwood Grove, Birmingham. Lewis Beale, 19, of Longstone Road, Birmingham; William Broughton, 20, of Packington Avenue, Birmingham.

William Cadd, 27, of Overdale Road, Birmingham; Andrew Cooper, 36, of Ashwood Close, Oldbury; Lee Cooper, 36, of Lichfield Road, Sutton Coldfield; Andrew Ford, 20, of Packington Avenue, Birmingham; Jamie Gagg, 25, of Green Head Road, Keighley; Paul Marshall, 44, of Featherbank Lane, Leeds.

James Mahon, 18, of Deepdale Avenue, Birmingham; Callum Mahon, 19, of Pleck Walk, Birmingham; Bradley Guinivan, 24, of Woodclose Road, Solihull; Bradley Jones, 25, of Dickens Heath Road, Solihull; Lewis Jackson, 26, of Kirkland Street, Pocklington.

Kevin Hill, 33, of Ascot Gardens, Wordsley; Michael Batchelor, 36, of Coney Green Drive, Birmingham; Thomas Allwell, 19, of Partridge Close, Solihull; Michael Flint, 48, of Castello Drive, Solihull.

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