Six Crystal Palace fans have been given football banning orders after attacking Peterborough fans at an away match last year.

The supporters had travelled from Crawley, Croydon and Epsom to the game on November 10 last year which Palace won 2-1.

After the game there was a fight between the defendants and rival fans in the city centre where punches were thrown and traffic cones were launched.

Some of the fans have received up to five year banning orders which police hope will act as a deterrent to those thinking about committing similar offences. They were sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court last Monday.

Police Sergeant Stuart Saunders, football liaison officer for Peterborough United, said the fight was started by a group of ‘risk’ Palace fans towards a similar group of Peterborough fans.

Sgt Saunders said the group of Palace fans came round a corner in the town centre and laid into the a group of home fans.

The Palace fans knocked their counterparts to the ground and kicked them.

They then picked up and threw traffic cones at the fans, who then ran away and the crowd dispersed. The Police arrived a couple of minutes later.

Sgt Saunders said the defendants were arrested in January 2013 after a joint investigation with Croydon Police and Scotland Yard.

He said: "The Palace fans through the first punch and were the more aggressive. In my opinion the Peterborough fans were there for the fight but got more than they were bargaining for.

"It is an intense two to three minute fight. It was not the most vicious as I don’t think anything other than bruised pride and a few black eyes.

"It is quite an intense fight at a time when the shops are still open and members of the public are wandering around and these idiots are beating seven bells out of each other.

"They could have got a ten year ban but their bans will have a significant impact on the hooligan scene and it sends a strong message out to the hooligan community."

Michael Steer, 20 of Britton Crescent, South Croydon, James Butler, 22, of Beech Crescent in Crawley and Hayden Johnson, 20 of Wentworth Way, Sanderstead all pleaded guilty to violent disorder Richard Jones, 47, of Montpellier, Weston-super-Mare and Brian Smith, 42, of Baylis Walk, Crawley, pleaded guilty to threatening behaviour.

Declan Clarke, 22 of Miles Road, Epsom, pleaded guilty to affray. Each defendant was given a three month suspended sentence for two years, 100 hours unpaid work and £500 costs.

Butler and Clarke were given five year banning orders with the others getting ones for three years.