Sunderland and Newcastle football-related arrests and banning orders revealed for 2017/18

Police watching over a derby match in 2011

A report issued today shows Sunderland had the third-highest number of supporters arrested in England and Wales, with 60 arrests - 77% of those made at home games.

Of all the Sunderland arrests, 29 were public order arrests. Birmingham City had the most arrests with 95, and Sheffield United was second with 62 arrests.

Sunderland was also joint with Grimsby Town in seeing the highest number of new football banning orders issued to supporters, with 28 each.

Sunderland also had the largest increase in football banning orders, up from just two in 2016/17.

Newcastle United supporters accounted for the highest number of football banning orders for the fourth consecutive year, with 79, but this was down from 111 last year, which was the largest season-on-season decrease.

Overall the number of football-related arrests has halved since the start of the decade, the Home Office report reveals.

Statistics from the 43 police forces in England and Wales indicate there were 1,542 football-related arrests during the 2017/18 season.

This was a 6% decrease on the previous season, and continues an overall downward trend.

In the 2010/11 season, there were 3,089 football-related arrests.

The data covers arrests at all regulated international and domestic football matches involving English and Welsh clubs and the national teams, playing in the UK and overseas. World Cup 2018 matches are not covered.

The three most common offence types were public disorder (36%), violent disorder (20%) and pitch incursion (12%).

The report said this is the first time that pitch incursion has appeared within the top three. Conversely, arrests for alcohol offences has now dropped out of the top three after a 38% fall (from 266 to 164) in the latest season.

Arrests for "alcohol offences" have dropped out of the top three following a 38% fall, from 266 to 164 in the latest season.

In 2010/11, there were 1,041 arrests in the alcohol category.

The report also revealed a drop in the number of football banning orders.

At the start of August, there were 1,822 orders in force, a 6% year-on-year fall and 43% down on the number in force in November 2011.