Rioters could be banned from football matches as ministers look to extend punishments for thugs bringing violence to Britain’s streets

Rioters could be banned from football matches as ministers look to impose heavier punishments for thugs who brought chaos to Britain’s streets.

Talks are underway between the government and football authorities, as well as individual clubs, to identify those taking part in the shocking wave of violence that has plagued the UK over the last week, it is claimed.

It is reported that some police intelligence has suggested a link between far-right groups and football hooligans who have taken part in the chaos and if confirmed this could see stadium bans imposed on those convicted of rioting offences.

Under current laws rioters face up to five years in prison if convicted of violent disorder, with a number already being jailed for years after admitting to offences in last week’s unrest.

But ministers are believed to be looking at bulking up existing powers to ban rioters from attending football games due to the perceived overlap between those involved in the violence and football hooligans.

A right-wing protester with an England flag draped around his shoulders looks on at counter-protesters in Finchley last night

Rioters throw bins onto a fire outside a hotel in Rotherham which is believed to be housing asylum seekers on Sunday, August 4. An England flag can be seen being held aloft in the background

A far-right protester is arrested by police in Southampton during a demonstration in the city last night

A car is left overturned and set on fire by rioters in Sunderland on Friday, August 2

Football clubs and police are already looking giving match bans ticket holders who are found to have taken part in the riots, but the government could come down even harder on the perpetrators, the i reports.

Under The Football Offences Act anyone found committing offences, including using offensive language and physical violence, in the two hours either side of a match can be given a football banning order.

This specific time frame could be extended to cover the riots seen in England over the last week, it is claimed, with one source telling the outlet: ‘The events of recent days take place against the background of increased football-related disorder we have seen in the last year or so.

‘There is liaison to establish what sort of overlap we are seeing between that disorder and what we have seen unfold in places like Rotherham, Hull and elsewhere.

‘There are good grounds for thinking that at least some of those who look to cause trouble at football grounds have also been involved in the aftermath of Southport.’

Home Office minister Dame Diana Johnson claimed this morning that ‘all tactics and all options should be looked at’ when dealing with those involved in the violence. 

Speaking about potential match bans for those involved in rioting, she said football clubs do not want those implicated in disorder ‘in their stands on a Saturday’.

A masked rioter runs in front of a bonfire in the middle of the road in Rotherham on Sunday

A police dog bits a masked protester in Plymouth during clashes on Monday, August 5

A riot police officer is injured during the clashes with far-right protester outside Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham

She told LBC Radio: ‘I think all options are being looked at, to be honest, and I am pretty clear that most football clubs do not want to be seen to have football hooligans and people carrying out criminal acts on the streets of the local communities in their stands on a Saturday.

‘So I think that’s a very live debate that’s going on at the moment, and I think there are consequences for people’s bad behaviour on our streets and their criminal activity, and if that’s what football clubs or rugby clubs choose to do, that’s a matter for them, but all tactics and all options should be looked at.’

MailOnline has contacted the Home Office for comment.

Sir Mark Rowley, chief of the Metropolitan Police, has claimed that some of those who had taken part in violence during a far-right protest in Whitehall last week had already been given football banning orders. 

Speaking after a series of dawn raids this morning which saw 10 people arrested in connection with the incident, he said: ‘These are criminals, they’re thugs, they’re no patriots.

‘We’ve been out doing some dawn raids this morning, the people who were most violent in the Whitehall protest and violence last week.

‘Yesterday and today it’s going to be more than 20 people, about 70 per cent of them have got criminal backgrounds – we’ve got criminal damage, violence, weapons offences, football banning orders – these are criminal thugs.

‘Any suggestion they’re patriots or they’ve got a cause that they’re protesting about is nonsense.’

Liam Ryan, who has a football banning order, wept in court yesterday as he admitted ‘aiming a punch’ at a black man during a riot in Manchester over the weekend

A man is led to a police van after early morning raids by the Met Police targeting suspected rioters in London today

Since the violence began more than 400 people have been arrested and over 100 charged, with the first prison sentences handed out this week.

Among those hauled before the courts this week was one football hooligan who was seen ‘aiming a punch’ at a black man who had been confronted by a ‘large group of white males’. 

Liam Ryan sobbed in court as he pleaded guilty to violent disorder after travelling from Bradford to a protest in Manchester’s Piccadilly Gardens.

The court was told that the 28-year-old has a football banning order and has previously taken part in large scale disturbances. He will be sentenced next week.

Home Office minister Dame Diana Johnson said there will be more arrests today and warned that the law will ‘come for’ those involved in inciting the riots online.

She told the BBC: ‘Over 400 people have been arrested – I’m hoping and I know that number will increase today.

‘We’ve got over 140 people charged, that number will go up as well, and we will start to see again today, more people going into court and receiving sentences.

‘And very importantly as well, I just want to make this point, it’s not just those physical acts on the street that we’re going to make sure people are brought to account for, but it’s also what’s happening online and that’s really important.

‘This week, we saw the first person being charged and convicted of what he’d done online, inciting violence, racial violence, and that is important.

‘If you do stuff online we will come for you, just as much as we will come for you for what you do on the streets of our country if you’re carrying out criminal disorder and violence.’

Further scenes of chaos had been feared last night after a reported hit-list of around 100 locations across the country was leaked.

Hate-filled protests had been planned across England outside immigration centres, organised on secretive far-right channels on social media app Telegram.

However, come 8pm many of those did not even turn up and those that did were dwarfed in size by counter-demonstrations, with up to 25,000 anti-racist activists turning out in force in cities across the UK.

This morning police went on the front foot, launching dawn raids to take those who were involved in the riots of the last week into custody, but there are warnings that the unrest might not be over with one minister suggesting more far-right protests could be planned for the coming days.