Football banning order on Scunthorpe United fan 'like house arrest'

THE solicitor of a Scunthorpe United fan who breached his football banning order says the measure is like house arrest.

Liam Wharton, 22, of Skippingdale Road, Scunthorpe, admitted breaching his three- year banning order, given to him in March last year.

Wharton was given the order after admitting inciting violence and letting off smoke bombs at four Scunthorpe United home fixtures. It prevents Wharton from entering Scunthorpe town centre and an exclusion zone surrounding the ground on matchdays.

Wharton was in breach of the order after being seen in the Penny Bank in Scunthorpe on a match day. The pub falls within his exclusion zone, which is in place four hours before kick off and six hours after it.

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The hearing at North Lincolnshire Magistrates' Court saw the prosecution seek to extend the banning order – a move magistrates rejected.

Deborah Gibson, prosecuting, said Wharton was seen by CCTV and the public in the pub on Saturday, September 8.

Ian Heywood, mitigating, said the inclusion zone put Wharton under "house arrest" on a match day.

He was given a conditional discharge for 12 months and ordered to pay £85 costs.