New campaign launched after shocking revelations of children being used as 'mules' to smuggle in pyrotechnic devices
The campaign by the Premier League, Football League and the FA comes with the number of incidents involving flares and smoke bombs is on the rise
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Your support makes all the difference.A new campaign is being launched to warn of the dangers of fans using flares and smoke bombs after it was revealed children as young as eight have been used as 'mules' to smuggle pyrotechnic devices into football grounds.
The campaign by the Premier League, Football League and the FA comes after a growth in the number of incidents - including a linesman being struck by a firework at Aston Villa in October.
Concerns have intensified after CCTV at one Premier League ground caught a young boy handing out fireworks to adults from his rucksack.
Fans will be reminded that fireworks are illegal at matches, carrying the risk of possible jail sentences, and warned of the dangers - last season a 15-year-old boy suffered lung damage from a smoke bomb thrown at Wigan, while in February a 14-year-old boy was killed by a flare thrown by fans during a South American Libertadores Cup match in Bolivia.
The Premier League said in a statement: "A disturbing element of increased pyrotechnics has been the involvement of children.
"It is not uncommon for 'mules' to bring the pyrotechnics into a ground on behalf of others, and in one incident at a Premier League match last season a child aged around eight was observed aiding those involved in pyrotechnic use.
"The child came into the ground with pyrotechnics in his rucksack and was then seen passing them to members of an adult group who let them off inside the ground."
New research has found that one third of fans have been affected by pyrotechnics, 87 per cent believe they are dangerous and 78 per cent say they want more action taken against users.
Fireworks have always been viewed as a European phenomenon but they have become a growing problem in English football with eight incidents in the 2010/11 season, 72 in 2011/12 and so far this season 96 incidents.
Policing minister Damian Green said: "Football fans might see images of football grounds in other parts of Europe full of smoke and light caused by pyrotechnic devices and think that they create a good atmosphere - but they do not.
"Flares are very dangerous and can cause severe injuries. We are very lucky that no one has been seriously injured or killed by a flare here for a long time.
"This campaign clearly sets out the dangers of flares and smoke bombs. I want to see the courts taking this problem seriously and dealing in the strongest way possible with fans who still illegally smuggle pyrotechnics into football grounds."
Nine people have been injured or burned by fireworks thrown at grounds in England in the last 18 months.
Last month a Manchester United fan who set off a smoke bomb during Sir Alex Ferguson's last game in charge, against West Brom, was given a suspended two-month jail term and banned from any football grounds for three years.
In February, two Chelsea fans were jailed for 28 days and given six-year football banning orders for taking smoke bombs into the Liberty Stadium for a match versus Swansea.
PA
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