The arrest of 59 fans at the derby clash between Bradford City and Leeds United has been cited as one the worst examples of an increase in football hooliganism.

According to a National Criminal Intelligence Service report, the incident on October 28 is one of 22 serious football violence disturbances reported by the police this year.

Today the Government launched new methods for tackling the problem - expected to include new powers to ban people from travelling abroad even if they have no criminal record.

But the NCIS report paints a bleak picture of domestic football violence which was reported to its Football Section by a network of Football Intelligence Officers based at police stations throughout the country.

The head of NCIS Strategic and Specialist Intelligence Branch Bryan Drew said: "Although it's too early to say whether the overall downward trend for football-related arrest figures over the past five years is being reversed, the signs are not good.

"In August we noted that arrests for the more violent football-related offences - affray, violent disorder and throwing missiles - had showed a marked increase over the previous season.

"This season that ugly face of football hooliganism has continued to make its very unwelcome presence felt. The numbers of people involved do remain comparatively small - but it is a hard core, well organised and hell bent on causing mayhem, that is using football matches as a cover for its criminal activities."

The NCIS report of the Bradford City Worthington Cup tie with Leeds stated 51 Bradford fans and eight home fans were arrested to "prevent full scale disorder" - the majority for breach of the peace.

A group of 44 Bradford fans were arrested near Leeds railway station. All were released without charge at 2am the next day. West Yorkshire Police complaints and discipline department is holding an inquiry into the reason for those arrests after two of the fans - Geoff Parkinson, of West Bowling, and Ronnie Darlington, of Idle - filed an official complaint with the force.

Bradford City chairman Geoffrey Richmond said the police appeared to have "massively overreacted" by making those arrests.

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