MIDDLESBROUGH fans who were in Italy for their European cup tie with AS Roma were today praised by a senior police officer.

Cleveland Police district commander, Superintendent Steve Swales, who was in the city for the match, said the fans behaved well despite provocation.

The 3,500 Boro followers in the Olympic Stadium were kept back for almost two hours after the final whistle to avoid the potential for rival fans clashing.

Supt Swales said today: "I left the stadium after an hour and found the streets back to the city were deserted.

"The fans were held back for an hour and 40 minutes and by the time they found their coaches it was almost two hours before they left.

"However, I would like to praise the supporters for their behaviour during this hold-back period.

"While they were no doubt frustrated, they were good-natured. They sang and chanted and didnt let their feelings boil over."

One incident in the match which Boro lost 2-1 but still went through on the away-goals rule will be reported to Uefa by representatives of the Football Association.

Roma fans charged the visiting supporters after Boro scored and eye-witnesses claim match stewards did nothing to stop the rampaging Italians.

Supt Swales said: "The Roma supporters threw objects and missiles at the Middlesbrough fans and it was a few minutes before the police were deployed to move them back.

"There was a fear of confrontation but fortunately it passed, however, it will be reported because it was totally unnecessary. The stewards did nothing to stop it."

Many of the Boro supporters arrived back in the North-East in the early hours of today on a series of flights into Durham Tees Valley and Newcastle Airports.