With the new football season almost upon us, transport police are set to crackdown on alcohol-fuelled football violence and disorder after figures revealed a “worrying” increase in arrests on trains and at stations.

Police chiefs in the north east division for British Transport Police (BTP), which includes the Bradford district, say more than 100 football fans were arrested for alcohol-related disorder last season.

Across Britain, BTP made more than 600 football-related arrests.

Chief Inspector Jane Townsley said police had seen a worrying increase in anti-social incidents, with 118 in the region.

She said: “Alcohol has definitely been a factor with many of those arrested, with incidents ranging from low-level disorder, assaults and public order offences like swearing and abusive behaviour.

“We will use all the tools at our disposal to rid the railway system of football troublemakers. We know these people are in the minority but we don’t want them spoiling things for the majority of law-abiding football fans.

“Our number one concern is ensuring that well-behaved football fans as well as other members of the public who are using the transport system on match days can travel in safety.”

Mike Harrison, editor of City football fanzine, City Gent, said: “I think the police are right to put out a warning that they are going to come down hard because that behaviour is not acceptable in this day and age.

“The season before last at the Huddersfield game, there were people there just to see if they could cause some trouble. We are playing Huddersfield next week and people will be going on the trains, so hopefully, there will be no trouble.”

Alan Pacey, BTP Assistant Chief Constable for Operations, said the 2007/08 season saw a ten per cent increase in football related anti-social and alcohol-fuelled incidents on trains and at stations.

That included a record number of attacks on police officers. He said: “The 2007/2008 season was definitely a challenging one for us. Alcohol-fuelled disorder was the most prevalent problem, with an increase from 305 to 337 incidents. We also had 25 police officers assaulted during the season – the highest number ever recorded by BTP.

“We did however get a better grip on organised hooligan elements through increased use of football banning orders on known trouble-makers. Consequently we had a reduction in serious incidents from 83 in the 2006/07 season to 63 last season.

“In the same time period we secured 122 football banning orders. This is something we will continue to pursue to ensure that those who engage in disorder are banned from travelling to, or from attending, football matches.”

A forum bringing together groups from the railway industry, the Football Association, the Football League and Premier League, supporters associations and BTP has been set up to discuss issues of football violence.

ACC Pacey said the forum was eager to ensure that the forthcoming season 2008/2009 was a success.

“We would appeal to fans ahead of the new football season not to over indulge in alcohol,” he said.