11 men arrested as Napoli and City fans clash
ELEVEN men were arrested after reports of racism and clashes between football fans.
Police were called to reports of a fight in Millstone Lane involving Napoli and Leicester City fans, shortly after 6pm on Thursday, ahead of kick-off.
Eight men, identified by the force as Napoli fans, were arrested at the scene in connection with the incident.
After further inquiries, a 27-yearold man from Leicester was later arrested on suspicion of violent disorder.
Following Leicester City’s Europa League tie with Napoli, violence also erupted in the stands, with officers having to step in to separate fights between fans.
Two further arrests were also made prior to the match following reports of racism.
Police received a report that a taxi driver had been racially abused.
A force spokesman said “A 39-year-old man from Italy was arrested on suspicion of a raciallyaggravated public order offence.”
The force added that he had been dealt with by way of a community resolution.
A 36-year-old man from Anstey was also arrested on suspicion of a racially-aggravated public order offence, following a separate incident before the match.
He has since been released with no further action, police confirmed.
Towards the end of the match, objects were also thrown by both sets of fans towards one another in the stands.
Police said no arrests have been made so far in relation to events within the ground.
Announcements telling City fans to leave the ground and “respect your club” were made over the speaker system, Mercury football writer Jordan Blackwell reported.
A tweet shared by Leicestershire Police’s Leicester City events Twitter account said: “All the excitement for Europe spoilt once again by the minority.
“CCTV will be viewed and those responsible will be held to account.”
In a statement released yesterday morning, the force said that Napoli fans were held back in the stadium at full time for the sake of public and officer safety.
No further arrests were made. However, inquiries into the incident are continuing.