01 October 2023 , 21:37
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A man has been charged by police with a public order offence after a picture of Bradley Lowery was held up at Sunderland fans on Friday.
A picture was posted online of a man displaying an image of Lowery, who died in 2017 after a battle with cancer, during the Championship match between Sheffield Wednesday and Sunderland at Hillsborough. The image also showed the man stood with another fan who appeared to be laughing.
Over the weekend Dale Houghton, 31, from Rotherham, was arrested and has now been officially charged with a Section 4a Public Order offence and remanded in custody. He's due to appear at Sheffield Magistrates' Court on Monday morning.
One of the men has been charged
Bradley Lowery with Jermain Defoe (Liverpool Echo)Police have also applied for a football banning order from stadiums, and a second man has also been arrested. The 27-year-old is now released on police bail while further enquiries take place.
Lowery's fight against cancer won the hearts and minds of thousands of football fans. The Sunderland fan also struck a friendship with former club striker Jermaine Defoe, and appeared alongside him as a mascot at games.
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Following Friday's incident, huge sums of money have been raised for the Bradley Lowery Foundation, which raises vital awareness for Neuroblastoma, the condition Bradley suffered from when he died aged six. And on Saturday, his mum Gemma released a statement that read: "Today has not been the Saturday I was expecting, after receiving multiple calls and messages regarding a photo circulating on social media," she said.
"I have received a visit from the Durham Police to check that I am ok, and they have notified myself and Carl that Yorkshire police are now dealing with the situation and taking it very serious. Bradley was and still is well loved in the football community, which I'm eternally grateful for, but i must ask that everyone lets the police do their job.
"I want to thank Sheffield Wednesday and the support their fans have shown. Like we always say, CANCER HAS NO COLOURS, and as we all know it can affect anyone at any time."
She also urged fans to help turn the situation into a positive one by sharing a picture of her son.