TWELVE people were arrested as trouble flared in Burnley town centre on Saturday.

Police were taken from football duty at Turf Moor to deal with a number of incidents, some of them involving Shrewsbury soccer fans who had allegedly been drinking and did not even try to get in to the match.

A police spokesman said: "They apparently decided to visit town centre public houses instead.''

A number of incidents and fights broke out and several people were arrested. Seven Shrewsbury fans were arrested after incidents in and around Yates Wine Lodge and later two more were arrested in Active Way. All were charged with public order offences and bailed to appear at court at a later date.

In a separate incident, police were called to a disturbance said to have started in the Turf Hotel and then spilled out into Yorkshire Street.

A number of people from the Manchester area had been to a wedding and were celebrating before the evening reception when trouble flared.

One man suffered a head injury but was not seriously hurt.

One of those arrested was released without charge, one was charged with a public order offence and another with drink-driving and driving while disqualified. They were bailed to appear in court later.

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