BERTIE Bee fell foul of a sting operation when he was ‘jailed’ during Burnley’s victory over QPR on Saturday, but he is far from the first football mascot to land himself in hot water.

Bertie was sent from the touchline by referee Andy Haines after offering glasses to the linesman during the first half, and was later pictured – somewhat in jest – looking despondent in the Turf Moor cells.

Bertie previously courted the headlines in 2003 when he spectacularly rugby tackled a streaker during a derby match with Preston.

But the genuine bad boy, or should that be bad cygnet, of British football mascots was Swansea City’s Cyril the Swan.

Cyril’s controversial approach has waned in recent years as tiki-taka has reigned at the Liberty Stadium, and now it is down to the club’s ball boys to occasionally stir things up.

But during the club’s lower league days Cyril received a touchline ban in 1999 for invading the pitch to celebrate a goal.

The mascot turned up at the Football Association of Wales hearing in full costume but was also fined £1,000.

Cyril was previously banned by the club for two matches after clashing with Norwich’s director of football Bryan Hamilton during a match.

More trouble would follow when he drop kicked the head of Millwall mascot Zampa the Lion into the crowd and was again fined £1,000.

Preston received an official warning from the Football League when Deepdale Duck was sent off during a game and had to be dragged away by his wings.

A mascot v mascot fracas broke out at Bristol City’s match with Wolves in 1998 as Wolfie ended up fighting at half-time with two pigs who were attending the game on behalf of one of the Robins’ sponsors. Bristol City’s cat mascot intervened to break up the incident.

In 1997, Bolton’s Lofty the Lion overstepped the mark as he mocked Wolves fans over their side’s performance and was hit on the head by pies lobbed by angry supporters.