21 July 2023 , 22:24
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A police investigation is underway after balaclava-clad men trashed a football pitch with cars mid-game while fans looked on in shock.
Dunston were playing host to Gateshead in a pre-season friendly when the two vehicles entered the pitch and cut up the grass by doing doughnuts. The occupants of the hearse then dumped leaflets out of the window before abandoning the vehicle in the centre circle and making away in a silver Subaru. The match was subsequently abandoned.
Supporters from both teams looked on in shock, with one eye-witness labelling the episode "scary" and "surreal" and another calling it "horrible", adding there were "loads of kids in tears".
Dunston were playing host to Gateshead in a pre-season friendlyNorthumbria Police has now released a statement on the incident.
"Police have launched an investigation following a disturbance during a football match in Gateshead. Shortly before 8.20pm Friday it was reported that two cars drove onto the pitch during half-time of the Dunston UTC v Gateshead match at Dunston Football Club on Wellington Road.
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"Following this, both cars – a Subaru and a Hearse – have proceeded to drive around in circles and a group of males wearing balaclavas have then exited onto the pitch. They have then proceeded to throw a number of leaflets onto the pitch, before driving away from the area in the Subaru before police arrival. The Hearse was left abandoned on the pitch.
"Officers attended the scene within minutes where nobody was reported to have been injured or threatened. An investigation was immediately launched – and a number of enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the report, and locate those involved.
"Disorder will not be tolerated in the community, and anyone found to be involved will be dealt with robustly. While enquiries are at an early stage, it is believed that those involved are known to each other and there was no wider risk to the public.
"We are also aware that images and videos of the disturbance are being circulated on social media. Members of the public are urged not to speculate and are encouraged to share any footage with police to assist the investigation.
"Police remain in the area to carry out enquiries and offer reassurance to the public – and those with concerns are encouraged to speak with an officer on duty. Anyone with information or footage capturing what happened should contact police using the 'Tell Us Something' page of the Northumbria Police website or call 101 quoting reference number NP-20230721-1154."
A number of fans shared videos and pictures of the incident on social media.
One eye-witness told the Daily Star: "It was surreal. As my wife and I were driving down, there were these three guys with snoods high up and hats on about 500 yards from the stadium. She said 'Those three guys look dodgy', but it was one of those comments that you say and think nothing of.
A police investigation is now underway"We get into the stadium and look across to the right and those three guys are there. Again, she said they look dodgy but thought nothing of it. The referee blows the half-time whistle and the players walk in, then one of the guys tried to open the blue railing around the pitch to get on. 'Open the gate, open the gate' they were shouting.
"There is a bit of an altercation between two guys trying to close the gate, but they were adamant to open the gate. Then the first car comes flying out. There are loads of people around, kids, men, women. It goes flying through the fence onto the pitch, starts doing doughnuts, then the hearse comes out.
Another said: "It was horrible to see. There were loads of kids in tears. It all happened so fast, in probably less than a minute. At first, people were just watching what was happening but then people started running away. I heard people say they had guns and people were running for cover. I've never seen anything like it. I just hope everyone is OK."
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