A 45-year-old Whalley man fell foul of a football banning order when he ran his 14-year-old son into Blackburn on the morning of the Blackburn Rovers FA Cup clash with Leicester.

Blackburn magistrates heard that Simon Anthony Fielding's flying visit put him in breach of a condition of the order which bans him from Blackburn town centre starting three hours before the start of any Rovers home game.

But defence solicitor Andrew Church-Taylor said his client had done no more than drive through the exclusion area and when he was stopped by police, with his eight-year-old disabled daughter in the car, he was heading out of town in the opposite direction to Ewood Park.

"There was no intention to do anything but drop his son off and there is no suggestion that he was involved in anything else," said Mr Church-Taylor.

Fielding, of Whalley Banks, pleaded guilty to breaching the Football Banning Order which was made by Blackburn magistrates in October.

He was fined £175 with £75 costs.

David Macro, prosecuting, said the Order banned Fielding from a defined area of the town centre from three hours before kick-off until two hours after the football game had finished.

The game against Leicester kicked off at 1.05pm and officers parked outside the Railway Station saw Fielding come out of the Cabin Cafe with a young girl, get into his car and drive off towards Church Street. He was followed and eventually stopped in Whalley New Road.

Mr Church-Taylor said Fielding had been at home mucking out horses and had no intention of going to Blackburn until his 14-year-old son asked him for a lift.

"He was actually annoyed that he had to break off from his chores to run the boy into town so he could meet his friends," said Mr Church-Taylor.