THE ATTORNEY General has failed in a bid to have the sentence of eight convicted North-East football hooligans increased.

Despite agreeing that the sentences passed on the men, ranging from four months to four years, were too short, three Appeal Court judges refused to increase their terms.

They were convicted of conspiracy to commit violent disorder on November 30, last year, after a six-week trial at Newcastle Crown Court.

Stephen Jary, 27, of Glagedale Court, South Shields; Christopher Tapken, 28, of Park Crescent East, North Shields, Christopher Richard Miller, 28, of Ashbrooke Terrace, East Bolden, Tyne and Wear and Mark Wilson, 30, of Watling Avenue, Seaham, Co Durham, received four-month sentences.

John Wilson Sharp, 39, of Elwin Close, Seaton, Sluice, who was a Royal Navy diver for 15 years and described as one of the 'lieutenants', was sentenced to 18 months.

Darren Shaun Leng, 32, of Grosvenor Gardens, Sharpston, Manchester, received a six-month sentence, while five-month sentence were given to Andrew Batty, 31, of Alston Crescent, Sunderland and 24-year-old Paul Clements, of Blagdon Avenue, South Shields.

The Attorney General's application to have the sentences imposed on all those eight increased was dismissed by the court.

One of the ringleaders, Graham Russell, 34, of Eleanor Street, Cullercoates, Tyne and Wear, also had his appeal against his sentence of four years imprisonment dismissed.

And the only defendant to have pleaded guilty, James Burwood, 24, of Trevor Terrace, North Shields, had his appeal against his 12-month sentence rejected.

The court heard how the two rival gangs of hooligans carefully organised a time and place to hold a huge fight.

Newcastle supporters, most of them from North Shields, were more heavily armed with pool cues and balls, bottles, knives, glasses and even CS gas and launched a pitched battle against Sunderland fans, mostly from south of the Tyne, said Lord Justice Rose.

The battleground was North Shields Quay on March 18, 2000, as terrified people looked on. One witness even described the brawl as "like a scene from Braveheart".

Lord Justice Rose , sitting with Mr Justice Keith and Mr Justice Hunt, said: "We have no hesitation in concluding that the sentence passed on those offenders was unduly lenient".

However he ruled it would be wrong to increase jail terms imposed on the eight as they had endured the "double jeopardy" of effectively being sentenced for a second time.

Although all eight were present during the fight, the prosecution had not been able to prove the level of their involvement in the violence.

Russell and Burwood had independently appealed against the length of their sentences, but had their cases dismissed.