Ministers considering if football banning orders could help curb pyrotechnics

Ministers are considering how special orders which ban football fans from all grounds could be used to crack down on the problem of “uncontrolled pyrotechnics” at matches.

Community safety minister Siobhian Brown said consideration is being given to whether football banning orders could be “utilised to greater effect”.

But she stressed to Holyrood that a “collective and concerted effort” would be needed to “eradicate” the use of flares and similar items at games.

She spoke out as she was questioned by independent MSP John Mason on the work being done to tackle the problem of “uncontrolled pyrotechnics” at matches in Scotland.

Ms Brown said: “The misuse of pyrotechnics is a serious issue which will require a collective and a concerted effort to eradicate.”

Community safety minister Siobhian Brown said the misuse of pyrotechnics by football fans was a ‘serious issue’ PA Media

She told the Glagsow Shettleston MSP that Police Scotland, the footballing authorities and Scottish Government officials have been “working in partnership to develop a cohesive response to this issue”.

It is already a criminal offence to take to take a pyrotechnic into football matches, while carrying them in public without a reasonable excuse was also made an offence under the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act 2022.

This legislation also gives the police powers to stop and search someone they believe may have a pyrotechnic in a public place.

Ms Brown went on to confirm that ministers were now “exploring options including how existing available measures, such as football banning orders, could be utilised to greater effect and whether further measures are needed”.

She said work was being done with footballing authorities to develop an education programme with clubs, for those fans given football banning orders – which ban someone from attending at any football ground in the UK – as well as those given club bans for pyrotechnic misuse.

However, she said: “It is important to recognise there is no single action which will provide an easy resolution to the problem of pyrotechnic misuse at football.”