POLICE have identified 11 Newport County fans they believe were involved in clashes with police following a match.

Officers from South Wales Police issued pictures of the men after scouring through CCTV footage of disturbances that followed the FAW Premier Cup clash with Cardiff City at Ninian Park on February 19.

Police say the footage shows a group of up to 30 County fans throwing missiles at Cardiff supporters and surging at a police cordon before some begin fighting with batton-wielding riot officers.

And yesterday, the officer leading the investigation said police had now identified the 11 potential suspects following an "excellent" public response.

DC Simon Chivers, from South Wales Police, said the force's football intelligence unit had received more than 50 calls from members of the public and people linked with Newport County, offering information after the Argus front page story last week. He said some of the men had been identified more than a dozen times.

"We have everyone we are looking for. They will all be coming in by arrangement and they will all be arrested on suspicion of public order offences."

Responding to claims by some Newport County fans on the Argus website that police had been heavy-handed and blown the incident out of proportion, DC Chivers said: "That level of disorder and violence will not be tolerated.

"We have video evidence of disorder involving solely Newport County fans.

"If these people are convinced they have done nothing wrong then they have nothing to worry about.

"The people in that group were asked to move on on a number of occasions. They were goading Cardiff supporters and surging towards the police cordon.

"There was risk of a public order offence and there was nothing disproportionate about the police response."