There are too many parents who fail to take responsibility for their children's actions, so I applaud Gary Miller for making his teenage son apologise for his unacceptable behaviour during the Wear-Tyne football derby at the weekend.

Ross Miller, 17, was arrested by police after running onto the pitch and pushing Newcastle goalkeeper Steve Harper to the floor.

Earlier today, Mr Miller drove his son to Newcastle's training ground in an attempt to say sorry to Harper and then to the Stadium of Light in Sunderland to offer further apologies.

Instead of hiding away from the embarrassment of his son's actions, Mr Miller has chosen instead to demonstrate publicly that he will not tolerate such behaviour. It was the right thing to do.

The apology goes some way towards making up for what Ross did - but it does not mean the authorities should let him off.

The severity of the punishment may be tempered to some extent by the family's efforts to apologise but Ross Miller must still face a ban from attending football matches, as well as whatever sentence the courts decide is appropriate.

Football cannot afford to have fans running onto the pitch and manhandling players. It may have been a moment of madness but an example has to be set.