TEN football hooligans who staged a pitched battle in a York hotel’s beer garden have been jailed for a total of 16-and-a-half years.

They were among 30 people involved in fighting between opposing groups of supporters in the city centre, York Crown Court heard.

Mehran Nassiri, prosecuting, said the hooligans terrified families with children and staff of Judges Lodging in Lendal as they threw glasses, chairs and other objects including a plant pot at each other and trashed the hotel’s beer garden in five minutes.

One of several 999 callers told police control staff: “You would need an army to sort it out.”

In CCTV played to the court, women can be heard screaming. One woman cries out to the hooligans “there are... kids” and there is a constant sound of smashing glass.

The 10 jailed include a grandfather, a graduate with a first class honours degree and one who was 17 at the time. Several had never been in trouble with the police before.

“This offence is an example of the potentially violent consequences of drinking mixed with the tribal loyalties associated with football teams,” said Judge Andrew Stubbs QC.

“Group violence fuelled with drink mixed with football carried out in the city centre is so serious the only appropriate sentence is one of immediate imprisonment.”

All 10 defendants admitted an offence of violent disorder. In addition to their jail terms, each was given a six-year football banning order.

Barristers for all 10 said they were remorseful, their families would suffer and jobs would be lost.

Mr Nassiri said York City fans were in the beer garden ahead of their team’s 3pm match with Chester City on October 22, 2016, when a group of away fans arrived at 1.40pm.

After repeatedly viewing multiple films of the brawl, Judge Stubbs said the Chester group had started the violence when they advanced into the garden and in some cases had tried to disguise their appearance with their hoods.

At one point during CCTV shown to the court, voices can be heard chanting “Chester, Chester, Chester”.

Mr Nassiri said police arrived after the fight broke up and the fighters had dispersed. No-one was injured, but the hotel’s housekeeper later told police she had never seen such violence, even in her native Czech Republic.

The defendants were:

York City fans: Jordan Willoughby, 24, of Board Street, South Bank, jailed for 26 months. The judge said he was the most involved of the York group.

Darren Leslie Cummings, 43, of Lindsey Avenue, Acomb, jailed for 20 months.

James Michael Windass, 53, of Tennent Street, Acomb, jailed for 18 months. For him, Graham Parkin said he used drink to cope with matters associated with his brother Peter’s murder.

David Michael Ellis, 34, of Pottery Lane, jailed for 15 months. He had had a previous football ban.

Chester City fans:

Lewis Griffiths, 19 now but 17 at the time, of Wellington Road, Broughton, Flintshire, jailed for 18 months. He tried to take a firework into the football ground later the same day.

Noel Hughes, 63, of High Street, Connahs Quay, Flintshire, jailed for two years. The judge said he had only got involved in the latter stages.

Tom Melia, 21, of Hope Farm Road, Great Sutton, Ellesmere Port, jailed for two years. The judge said his punch to a York fan had “set the tone” for the rest of the violence.

Ben Wilcox, 19, of Crown Estate, Lloc, Holywell, Flintshire, jailed for two years. The judge said he had thrown at least six missiles during the fight. His birthday is on Saturday.

Daniel Sharples, 22, of Ewloe, Deeside near Chester, the only one to admit his guilt before the magistrates. He was jailed for 20 months.

Kyle O’Gorman, 25, of Tennyson Walk, Chester, was jailed for nine months. For him, Richard Davies said he would lose his career as a trainee accountant.