“In order to maintain levels of service to Herefordshire communities, West Mercia Police will act on intelligence received when planning and policing an event such as this. West Mercia Police will always prioritise the public, their safety and the safety of staff.

“Responsibility for disorder such as we saw yesterday always lies with those who make the decision to be violent and put innocent people at risk and we will act accordingly and as such, four arrests were made.

“I would like to reassure the local community and the vast majority of peaceful football fans from both Stockport County and Hereford FC who were caught up in the disturbance that we always review our operational procedures to take away any lessons to be learned and this case will be no different.

“I would like to thank fans from both teams who travelled to the game yesterday, for their patience and understanding whilst we dealt with the unusual circumstances where a number of individuals were intent on disrupting what should be a safe and fun family day out.”

Superintendent Mel Paley, West Mercia Police