Man and teen from Dibden Purlieu among 12 arrested over violence between Southampton FC and Tottenham Hotspur football fans

A MAN and a teenage boy from Dibden Purlieu were among 12 more people arrested over violence between rival football fans in Southampton.

Police made the latest arrests early last Thursday morning amid continued investigations into the disturbance involving Saints and Spurs fans on Saturday 18th March.

The alarm had been raised just after 6pm, with reports of violent disorder on Terminus Terrace, at the junction with Oxford Street.

A number of people were said to have been involved, with tables, chairs and glasses thrown and a man assaulted.

The 12 arrested last Thursday, including a 45-year-old and a 16-year-old from Dibden Purlieu, were all on suspicion of violent disorder.

The others arrested were: two 21-year-old men from Bursledon, an 18-year-old man from Curdridge, a 29-year-old man from Chandler's Ford; and six Southampton men – two aged 20, a 21-year-old, a 24-year-old, a 32-year-old and a 37-year-old.

All were later released on conditional bail as investigations continued.

Ch. Insp. Stuart Ratcliffe, who oversaw the arrest operation, said: "The vast majority of those attending football are there to do just that and want no involvement in any disorder.

"However, there is a small minority who seek to use it as an occasion to commit crime, and we will not tolerate this.

"Our arrests today come following some extremely hard work from our officers, and we will continue to work to identify and arrest anyone involved in this incident."

The arrests followed 10 made at the time of the incident. Each of those men remain on conditional bail pending further enquiries.