SUPPORTERS of Sunderland AFC are revealed as the worst behaved in North-East football today, with the highest number of arrests and banning orders.

Home Office statistics show that 93 Black Cats supporters were banned from attending games last season, with 31 detained by police at league matches.

Both figures were higher than the arrests and banning order rates for either of the region's Premiership clubs - Newcastle United and Middlesbrough.

A total of 53 Magpies' supporters were given banning orders, with 25 arrested.

Middlesbrough had 46 fans banned and 12 detained at Premiership games.

However, all three clubs can take heart from the fact that the number of both arrests and banning orders were down on the previous season.

The trend was also downwards for the area's smaller clubs - Darlington, Hartlepool and York City - which attract fewer followers.

Across the country, football-related arrests fell by ten per cent, from 4,413 in 2002/03 to 3,982 last season, despite record attendances and the Euro 2004 tournament in Portugal.

The fall is thought to have been achieved thanks to a record use of banning orders, which were up by 45 per cent, from 1,794 in August last year to 2,596 this month.

Police forces were last year given £5m of funding over three years for anti-hooliganism operations amid fears of a growing generation of young hooligans and a sharp rise in arrests.

Detention of England supporters at international games also fell significantly, from 261 to 70, despite riots in the Algarve resort of Albufeira during Euro 2004.

Home Office Minister Caroline Flint said: "These statistics paint a very encouraging picture, with a ten per cent reduction in the number of arrests and an average of just 1.6 arrests per game.

"It is also pleasing to see a fall in the number of arrests at England internationals, reflecting the exemplary behaviour of the vast majority of fans in the run up to and during Euro 2004.

"However, the statistics reflect a lingering, if small, domestic disorder problem and we are not complacent."

Portsmouth fans topped the table of total arrests per club, at 146, and had most fans subjected to banning orders, at 70.

In the lower divisions, the spotlight fell once more on Championship club Cardiff City, which has the greatest overall total of supporters banned from games , at 160. Although arrests for violent disorder, racist chanting and ticket touting fell over the season, there were rises in incidents of missile throwing and breaches of banning orders.