A CHANCE encounter when he went to get a half-time pie ended with a football fan being arrested.

Blackburn magistrates heard that life-long Portsmouth fan James Hancock had been warned by a police officer not to enter Ewood Park because he was drunk.

But he ignored the advice and would have got away with it but for bumping into the same officer when he went to get his interval refreshments.

Hancock, 28, of Jade Court, Gosport, pleaded guilty to entering a designated sports ground when drunk. He was fined £100 with £65 costs but the magistrates did not impose a football banning order.

Daniel King, defending, said Hancock had been watching Portsmouth since he was six years old and a banning order was his worst nightmare. He said Hancock had been taking the officers advice when he saw another turnstile and decided to take a chance.

"If he hadn't bumped into the same officer when he went for a pie at half-time no one would have known," said Mr King.