PUBS in Burnley town centre could be asked to close after Clarets matches to avoid flashpoints between rival fans.

Police asked licensees near Turf Moor and in the town centre not to open between 4.50pm and 5.20pm last Saturday after they received intelligence that a 'small minority' of Port Vale fans were intent on causing trouble inside a pub.

Sgt Martin Storey, who covers the town centre, said: “We have a very good working relationship with town centre licencees and asked them to close their doors for half an hour.

“It was very effective and worked well in preventing any disorder.”

Police said they would consider asking pubs to close at the end of high-risk category C games in the future.

Pubs were also asked to serve pints in plastic glasses between noon and 6pm as part of their licencing conditions.

Sgt Storey said: “We won’t be asking pubs to close every game, it will be done on a match-by-match basis and won’t happen very often.”

Emma Harrison, landlady at the Bridge Bier Huis, in Bank Parade, said: “I think it was a bit of an over-reaction. We don’t really get any hassle in here and I didn’t see any trouble in the town.

“It would be ridicilous if we had to do it every week. I don’t see the point if just closing for 30 minutes really.

“I know the police are trying to get people to leave the town centre but they will probably just go to drink in other pubs down the road.

“We did use plastic glasses but got a few complaints from customers. When your paying £3.20 for a pint of Erdinger you want it in a nice glass.”

Chris Sewster, manager of The Boot Inn, in St James’s Street, said: “If every pub in the town closes then real fans have nowhere to drink, although I understand where the police are coming from and we are happy to go along with it if that is what they want.”