A YORK football fan has been banned from all professional football matches in England for three years after he was caught with drugs at Elland Road.

Thomas Forde, 29, went to Leeds United’s home match with Blackburn Rovers on April 13, Leeds Magistrates Court heard.

While he was at the Elland Road stadium, a bag of cocaine was found in his possession.

Forde, of Penleys Grove, Street, The Groves, York, pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine. Because the offence took place at a football stadium, he was made subject to a football banning order for three years. He was fined £346 and ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs and a £138 statutory surcharge.

Under the banning order, as well as being banned from all professional matches and having to surrender his passport if England play abroad, Forde is barred from going within a mile of Elland Road stadium three hours before and after any Leeds United home game. When they are playing away, he cannot go within five miles of the stadium where they are playing for the same period.

He cannot go to any town or city where the England national team is playing and on any day when Leeds United is playing away or England is playing a home match, he cannot catch a train or go on the London Underground without police permission.