Kettering football fan taken to court over smoke device

A football fan from Kettering has been prosecuted after he threw a smoke device at a Championship match last year.

Ben Close was at Ewood Park for the clash between Blackburn Rovers and Luton Town on September 11 when he was spotted with the device.

The 37-year-old, of Wilton Road, was later arrested and charged with two offences – one of possessing a smoke device at a designated sporting event and a second of throwing it.

After pleading guilty to both charges Close was sentenced to a conditional discharge at Northampton Magistrates’ Court, meaning he will face no further punishment as long as he stays out of trouble for the next 12 months.

Those caught with flares at football matches can be given banning orders, but magistrates said they were not satisfied one would help prevent violence or disorder at matches.

They added that they felt a football banning order was not necessary or proportionate to protect the public and ordered Close to pay costs of £85 and a surcharge to fund victim services of £22.

The match saw Blackburn race into a 2-0 lead with first-half goals from Tyrhys Dolan and Harry Pickering.

But a dramatic collapse saw Luton – who went on to reach the play-offs after a fine season – snatch a draw right at the death.

Luke Berry was their hero, pulling a goal back in the 73rd minute before equalising in the seventh minute of additional time.