A FOOTBALL fan from Bolton reported suspected racial abuse to police while watching a match on TV — leading to the arrest of a 17-year-old Norwich City fan more than 200 miles away.

The armchair fan called Suffolk Police after claiming to have seen Ipswich player Tyrone Mings being racially abused by a Norwich supporter during the two clubs' play-off match on Saturday, May 9.

The 17-year-old Norwich fan was removed from the ground and arrested on suspicion of racial abuse, after the message was passed onto police officers at Ipswich's Portman Road ground during the first half of the match, which finished 1-1.

However, the teenager from Cromer, in North Norfolk, was given a community order for abusive language, and not racial abuse.

The order prevented him from attending the second leg of the play-off match, as well as the play-off final against Middlesbrough, which will take place at Wembley on Monday.

Mings told officers that he did not hear any racial abuse, and a police spokesman said the abuse was not racist.

Norwich eventually won the two legged tie 4-2 on aggregate.

A spokesman for Suffolk Police said: "We had a call from a member of the public from Bolton who was watching the TV coverage of the match.

"He saw a young fan in the crowd wearing a Norwich shirt who appeared to be abusive to one of the players.

"The television viewer did not wish to make a statement, and the player did not hear any racial abuse."