A FOOTBALL fan from Blackburn grabbed a police officer’s vest resulting in him falling between a train and the platform.

The officer, who feared for his life worrying the train would depart, suffered a deep cut to his elbow as a result of the incident.

Jordan Whalley, 24 was ordered to pay £385 at Burnley Magistrates’ Court on 28 March after pleading guilty to a public order offence and resisting a police officer.

Whalley, of Parsonage Road, Blackburn, was on board the 6.15pm Rochdale to Blackburn service with 200 other football fans following a match on Saturday September 9 last year.

He was part of a large group of fans who were chanting and swearing loudly, and using foul and abusive language.

The group, who had been drinking heavily, were also banging on the wall panels on the train, the court heard.

As the train approached Burnley Manchester Road an elderly man got up to leave the train. Whalley, who was stood two feet away from him, began to verbally abuse the man, swearing and shouting at him.

As the train arrived into Burnley and due to his unacceptable behaviour, an officer escorted Whalley off the train and onto the station platform.

Whalley ran down the platform and attempted to re-board the service with another man who had also been ejected from the train.

When he was stopped from getting back on the train, Whalley became abusive towards an officer and grabbed the officer’s police vest and pulled him towards him, trapping the officer in the closing train doors.

As the doors reopened , the officer lost his footing and fell between the train and the platform.

With Whalley still holding his vest, the officer managed to wrestle Whalley off him and climbed back up onto the platform where he attempted to restrain him. After fighting back, another officer came and helped restrain and arrest him.

Sergeant Bob Moody said: “The behaviour of Whalley was completely unacceptable and something we will not tolerate.

"It must have been extremely unpleasant for the man who was abused by him; and the other passengers on board at the time including a young family who were forced to listen to his foul language and witness his aggressive behaviour.

“The officer who slipped down between the train and platform was injured due to Whalley’s actions, fortunately not seriously, but it could have been a completely different story.

“Trains are not extensions of football terraces. Families, young children and older people often travel on match days too. This type of behaviour is not something that anyone should have to accept. We take all reports of anti-social behaviour on trains seriously.

"If you witness or experience such behaviour, please contact us on 0800 40 50 40 or text 61016 discreetly.”