Sheffield Wednesday, Sheffield United and Doncaster Rovers all see increase in football arrests

The number of football-related arrests involving supporters of Yorkshire clubs fell last season - but three of South Yorkshire's clubs saw a rise in figures.

In total, there were 334 such arrests of supporters of the region’s leading teams in the 2015/16 season, down from 350 in 2014/15, Home Office figures show.

Leeds United saw a big drop in arrests, from 99 to 68, though this was still the highest total in Yorkshire and the second highest in the Championship, behind Birmingham City.

Bradford City, Rotherham United, Middlesbrough and Barnsley also saw fewer supporters arrested, while Huddersfield Town’s total of 13 arrests was the same as in 2014/15.

But both Sheffield clubs, Wednesday and United, Doncaster Rovers and Hull City all had more supporters arrested in 2015/16 than in the previous campaign.

Sheffield Wednesday’s arrests went up from 32 to 48, while Hull City’s went up from 16 to 32 and Doncaster’s from 20 to 34.

A total of 13 Barnsley and 12 Sheffield United fans were issued with new banning orders last season, while Leeds United supporters saw just five.

But Leeds’s running total of 47 banning orders as of August 1 put it seventh in the national table, behind Liverpool, Burnley, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Millwall, Chelsea and Newcastle United.

Nationally, nearly 2,000 football-related arrests were made in the most recent season - the first increase in three years.

Some 1,895 were made in the period between July 1 2015 and July 10 2016, up one per cent from the previous year when the number was 1,873.

A quarter of these (470) were in connection with Championship matches, the Home Office said.

Overall, the number of football-related arrests has been in decline, with a decrease of around one fifth since the 2011-12 season.

The most common causes for arrest over the last season were public disorder and alcohol offences.

Arrests for violent disorder were the highest in three years, while those related to criminal damage were the highest in four.

Arrests for racist and indecent chanting remained low, at just 17.