A RURAL pub was forced to close after Blackpool FC fans staged a demonstration against the club’s chairman and let a smoke bomb off outside.

Up to 100 fans turned up at the Parkers Arms in Newton-in-Bowland on Sunday to voice their displeasure at chairman Karl Oyston, who lives in the area, after the club was relegated from the Championship.

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Pub co-owner Stosie Maddie said that a small section of the protestors, who also went to the Higher Buck in Waddington, became verbally aggressive to members of her staff after they were told that there was no room to house all of them.

The pub, which has a capacity of around 50 people, had just opened for Sunday lunch and was expecting customers to arrive when a convoy of supporters turned up in the car park.

The fans were on their way through the Ribble Valley as a protest against Mr Oyston.

Mrs Maddie said: “It was really scary and we had no idea what was going on.

“They were not physically aggressive and it was not all of the football fans.

“I was in the kitchen at the time and I heard a huge roar that came from outside.

“ We saw the fans outside and they came in and demanded to be served.

“They were told that we could not accommodate that many people and that’s when it all started to kick off.

“Some said that we had been paid off by the club’s chairman to refuse to serve them which is ridiculous as I had no idea who he was before this weekend.

“They started chanting at my staff and then they let off a smoke bomb.

“There was a police officer there and five more police vans turned up later.

“We were closed for about 45 minutes and people who had reservations said they would come back later because it was so bad outside.”

Following the incident Mrs Maddie was subjected to abuse on Twitter and the pub’s phone was repeatedly called for the rest of the day.

Sgt David Simpson of Ribble Valley Police said: “We attended both pubs to prevent a breach of the peace.

“No arrests were made and no criminal damage was reported.”