POLICE have charged 23 men after violence flared following the Burnley and Sheffield Wednesday clash in January.

The suspects, mainly from Burnley but with others from Pendle, Rossendale and Rochdale, have each been accused of violent disorder at Burnley Miners Club on January 18.

They will appear before Burnley Magistrates' Court during the week starting April 7 to answer charges relating to the fracas at the Plumbe Street venue.

Those in the dock will include father and son Stephen and Jordan Burnley, aged 49 and 21 respectively, each of Emily Street, Burnley, and 63-year-old Timothy Wilkinson, of Sowclough Road, Bacup.

Fellow defendants include: Ian Spencer, 52, Wren Street, Gareth Bromley, 37, of Weldon Street, Terry Wall, 19, of Creswick Avenue, Michael Harrison, 36, Brunshaw Road, 26, of Morse Street, Mark Butler, 23, of Deerpark Road, Nicholas Speak, 35, of Holly Street, Andrew Rigg, 50, of Paythorne Avenue, Lee Tattersall, 43, of Bluebell Grove, Alexander Dean, 23, of Mary Towneley Fold, Tony Holgate, 42, of Tabor Street, Anthony Speak, 23, of Lower Tentre, and Chris Ashton, 18, of Garsdale Avenue, all Burnley.

Other defendants include Andrew Hardman, 31, of Fairfield Avenue, Waterfoot, Phillip Palmer, 29, of Langdale Road, Padiham, Stephen Rimmer, 54, of Gale Street, Rochdale, Paul Higginson, 38, of Lawrence Street, Padiham, Gavin Ellacott, 21, of Burnley Road, Colne, Simon Massey, 49, of Avondale Road, Nelson, and a 16-year-old Barrowford youth.