[UK] Barnet police call for ban for racist fan
Thursday 27 Mar 2008
Barnet police have vowed to appeal against the light sentence handed out to a fan who chanted racist slogans at a Barnet football match.
Christopher David Mitchell, 19, was fined £285 at Hendon Magistrates Court last Thursday for shouting anti-semitic slogans in relation to gas chambers and Hitler at the Barnet-Arsenal pre-season friendly on July 14 last year.
He also had to pay £200 costs and a £15 surcharge, but did not receive a match ban.
Mitchell, an Arsenal supporter from Himley Green, Leighton Buzzard, was in the Barnet North Stand surrounded by children and families when he began shouting offensive slogans. He was asked to stop by stewards, and when he refused he was arrested.
PC Andy Wigley, football intelligence officer for Barnet Football Club, said that a fine was not a severe enough punishment for the crime and the police would be seeking a banning order against Mitchell.
"We do occasionally get issues like this at Barnet, but I wouldn't say racist chanting is a prolific problem. But when it does happen, we will not tolerate it.
"We will actively seek banning orders against anyone who gets involved in this sort of activity.
"It is totally unacceptable behaviour."
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