Leicester City 'fans' whipped Italian supporters with belts in 'running battle' before match

A group of three Leicester City fans took off their belts to whip Italian football supporters in a "running battle" next to a historic city monument. A number of young men massed next to The Magazine, on the inner ring road, and attacked each other a couple of hours before Leicester took to the pitch against Napoli in the Europa League tie in September last year.

CCTV operators tracked the action as the two groups ran at each other with weapons while others looked on. The violence included one Leicester supporter being knocked to the floor and kicked while another Foxes fan swung a pole at the Italian fans. The CCTV shown at Leicester Magistrates' Court on Friday showed several men from both sides pulling their belts off and then whipping each other.

Officers arrived and arrested 11 men, including eight Napoli fans, while a number of other local men were identified and arrested after the match. There was further violence in the stands after the match, LeicestershireLive reported at the time.

They included Bradley Eden (29), Jack Hemmings (19) and Thomas Vignali (22), who met up at The Market Tavern in Hotel Street, in the city centre before heading over to The Magazine, climbing over the barriers on the inner ring road and bringing traffic to a halt before running to join the battle, with Vignali putting on a balaclava for the fight.

All three took their belts off and used them as weapons to whip the Italian men, with Hemmings also using a pole to attack the rival fans. The fight went on for several minutes before Leicestershire Police arrived. Eden, Hemmings and Vignali were later arrested and charged with threatening behaviour, which they all pleaded guilty to.

Prosecutor Sally Bedford told the magistrates: "It was