THREE Clarets fans appeared in court following incidents during Saturday's game with Preston.

Burnley magistrates heard how one fan, David Clegg, may take action against police after he ended up with a fractured hand after being handcuffed.

The bench heard there was no suggestion Clegg and another defendant Mark Holden behaved in a violent disorderly manner.

A third defendant, Mark Haywood, was arrested after abusing police later on the bus station. The magistrates said the incident was not related to the football match.

Clegg, 36, of Leyland Road, and Holden, 30, of Herbert Street, both Burnley, were each conditionally discharged for 12 months and ordered to pay £40 costs after admitting being drunk at a designated sports ground.

Haywood, 34, of Ford Street, Burnley, was fined £80 with £40 costs after pleading guilty to threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour.

Silvia Dacre, prosecuting, said a police officer on duty in the East Stand at Turf Moor saw Clegg unsteady on his feet and arrested him. Trevor Grice, defending, said Clegg had not been able to get a ticket for the sell-out game and went to the pub to have a drink and listen to it on the radio.

Later a friend arrived and said he could get hold of two tickets. They went to another pub, met a man and paid £25 each for a ticket.

Clegg went to the ground with his ticket, but had he known he was going to the match, he would not have drunk so much.

He caused no trouble to police but was handcuffed and put in the police van.

Mr Grice went on: "For some reason, which is a matter of investigation, when he arrived at the police station his treatment was such that the handcuff had fractured his hand.

"He had to go to hospital immediately and have the fracture broken so that it could be reset."

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