Policing will be stepped up to its highest levels since Bradford City joined the Premiership when they play Sunderland tomorrow.

More than 130 officers will be on duty for the game at Valley Parade which has been designated a Category C Match by police.

For the first time since the Bantams joined the elite division the control room inside Valley Parade will be linked up to Bradford Central Police's special operations room.

An inspector with two sergeants and 12 PCs will be deployed inside Valley Parade.

But the bulk of the officers, including mounted police and motorcycle officers, will be stationed outside the ground to tackle any problems should they arise during the day.

Bradford Central's Chief Inspector Ray Shepherd, the officer in charge, said: "We categorise games at the beginning of the season, with Cat A the lowest and Cat C the highest stage, although things change from week to week. It depends on a number of factors. If a team is at the top of the table, or if a hooligan element has attached itself to a specific team, then a match will get a higher category.

"At the Sunderland game with Derby there were 50 arrests and a number of fans were arrested at Bradford's game with Derby, though they were released later.

"So this is the first Category C match we've had this year because we've judged there is more potential for problems."

Chief Insp Shepherd said the massive police operation was backed up by the club's own stewards, the ambulance service and Bradford Council staff.

He said: "At some of the matches we don't have any police inside the ground because the stewarding is so exceptionally good and well trained at Bradford City, there isn't a need.

"But some games have more potential for trouble than others and obviously a local derby between City and Leeds United will take more police than when teams like Watford visit Valley Parade.

lBradford City star Lee Sharpe will summarise for Bradford Community Broadcasting Ban-tams 1566 AM's coverage of the match on Saturday from 2pm.

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