Swearing, singing, and enjoying a matchday pie and a pint has long been the discerning football fan's route to ridding himself of the stress of the working week.

But fans at St James' Park - home of Newcastle United Football Club - will have to mind their P's and Q's in future or fall foul of the long arm of the law.

Because Geordies used to turning the air blue will be collared by the boys in blue, if tough talking police chief Dave Jackson gets his way.

The Newcastle city centre Chief Inspector is determined to delete expletivesfrom his command area - which takes in the Premiership football stadium.

Traditional terrace chants will be replaced - "The referee's a blighter,"

and "You're twits, and you know you are," - and revellers on the Quayside and Bigg Market will have to watch their tongues.

Anyone verbally offending public decency could face a dressing down, followed by a trip to the station and the threat of a £100 fine if they fail to desist.

Chief Inspector Jackson said police had a duty to uphold the public order act which outlaws bad language in public.

He said: "An awful lot of people find swearing intimidating and threatening.

"It is offensive, it's bad for the image of the city and what sort of an example does it set for our children? The law was created to protect people and as police officers we are here to uphold that."

He added that the growing number of children at football matches meant bad language on football terraces was becoming increasingly unacceptable.

It is already an offence to continue to use abusive language in a public place under Section 5 of the 1986 Public Order Act.

But police officers will adopt a no nonsense policy to swearing on the streets of the city.