IPSWICH: Five football louts have been punished by magistrates after committing public order offences at the derby match between Ipswich Town and Norwich City.

The home supporters appeared before South East Suffolk Magistrates’ Court yesterday charged with separate offences following the match on April 21, where police officers dealt with several outbreaks of poor behaviour from fans.

Each of the defendants admitted the charges put to them and were given a range of punishments by magistrates:

- Christopher Bloomfield, 35, of Talbot Road, Sudbury, was given a community order for 60 hours’ unpaid work and ordered to pay �85 costs after hitting a man with open palms near Ipswich railway station after admitting using words to make people fear violence.

- Anthony Burch, 43, of Phoenix Road, Ipswich, was fined �450 including costs and surcharges after he admitted charging forward through supporters, knocking people down, to breach police lines.

- Jordan Paddy, 19, of Coppers Close, Bury St Edmunds, was ordered to pay �300 after aiming foul language towards Norwich City fans and police officers.

- Richard Robinson, 46, of Chainhouse Road, Needham Market, was fined �330 including costs and surcharges after making obscene hand gestures towards opposition fans and, despite being warned to stop by police, shouting foul comments towards the Norwich City crowd.

- James Taylor, 18, of Radcliffe Road, Ipswich, was ordered to pay �160 after being seen “snarling” at Norwich fans and then jogging towards the opposition crowd with a group of home fans.

In Taylor’s case, the leader of the bench said: “You have clearly let your family down and you have let yourself down.

“The police were trying to deal on that night with a difficult situation and didn’t need a young man making matters worse.”

Burch, Paddy, Robinson and Taylor all pleaded guilty to using threatening words or behaviour to cause harassment, alarm or distress.

Magistrates considered imposing a football banning order in each case but felt that the minimum three-year ban would be too harsh for the offences committed.