RIOT police were called in after brawling football fans brought violence to York City centre.

A dozen people were arrested as rival fans clashed before and after Monday's crunch Yorkshire derby between York City and Halifax Town.

About 90 officers were on duty in the city to deal with a series of incidents, as York officers liaised with colleagues from West Yorkshire Police to identify known troublemakers.

A group of 200 away supporters were escorted from KitKat Crescent to the station after the match.

Riot police were strung across Lendal at about 5.30pm as fans made their way back towards the city centre and the station, and the Judge's Lodgings pub closed its doors until the threat of trouble died down.

The match, which Halifax won 2-0, all but ended City's chances of making the Nationwide Conference playoffs.

York's police commander, Chief Superintendent Tim Madgwick, said: "We had some disorder in the city centre around about midday from a group of travelling Halifax fans, and about four or five arrests were made before 1pm due to drinking-related disorder.

"We have made about 12 arrests in total, due to a mixture of football-related offences, assaults, drunkenness, etc.

"We escorted a group of about 40 Halifax fans to the match, who we thought were involved in disorder. We were working with colleagues from West Yorkshire Police, who came across.

"We were able to identify people who were known to be high-risk supporters.

"They were escorted to the ground then afterwards, to protect the public at large, escorted again. We took about 200 back to the railway station. That's not normal practice any more, but I was not prepared to have them back in the city centre."

Chief Supt Madgwick said most of those arrested were from Halifax. He said there had been no particular intelligence to suggest trouble, but said police had been aware of the potential.

He said: "It was a Yorkshire derby and we realised with both sides going for the play-offs and it being a Bank Holiday there was always an element that would come to York early and drink. We were alert beforehand."

There had been rumours of one fan being slashed with a knife, but Chief Supt Madgwick said that was not true, although he said they had received reports of some supporters being seen with knives.

Chief Supt Madgwick said today that most of those arrested had been bailed while CCTV footage is collated. One has been released without charge, while three have been charged with public order offences, including entering a sports ground while drunk.

Updated: 09:28 Tuesday, April 18, 2006