THE number of football banning orders imposed on hooligan fans in the region has increased by 50 per cent in six months.

Police forces have used tough new powers to bring supporters before the courts and have them barred from matches at home and abroad.

In total, the region's four forces have secured banning orders against 170 fans in the past 12 months - up 57 from 113 at the end of the last football season in May.

Northumbria Police, who are responsible for order at Newcastle United and Sunderland home matches, have issued the biggest number of orders, at 100.

Cleveland Police, who police games at Middlesbrough and Hartlepool United, have handed out a total of 55 in the past year, an increase of 23 over the past six months.

In County Durham, where police monitor the matches of Darlington, the figure has stayed at 11 since the end of May, and in North Yorkshire, where non-league York City play, the number has gone down from ten to four.

Some of the region-wide increase has been attributed to a crackdown before, during and after the European Championships in Portugal in the summer.

Some fans were detained at airports, despite being warned not to travel, while some were arrested at the tournament and deported before being banned.

Detective Sergeant Ian Fawcett, of the Football Intelligence Unit at Cleveland Police, said: "We have been able to take 55 of the worst troublemakers off the terraces.

"Cleveland Police is one of the most successful in the country in getting banning orders and other forces regularly come to us for advice.

"We have built up a data bank of names of troublemakers, we regularly monitor matches. We know who the people are and we always take action."

A Northumbria Police spokeswoman said: "The big rise in the number of banning orders has been influenced by Euro 2004 and the national effort to stop those fans suspected of being trouble-makers travelling to the championships."

News of the increasing numbers of banning orders comes at the same time that the public have answered Cleveland Police's call to name the football hooligans who brought shame on Middlesbrough football club's maiden UEFA Cup campaign.

Ugly scenes during Middlesbrough's first European tie on foreign soil marred what should have been a night for celebration in the Czech Republic.

Images of 11 hooligans released by the Football Intelligence Unit resulted in several names being brought to their attention.

Officers had recorded disturbing footage as trouble flared at Banik Ostrava's Bazaly ground between rival supporters on September 30.

Several people involved in the clashes have already been traced and banning orders lasting up to six years have been issued by Teesside magistrates, excluding them from all grounds in England and Wales.

A police spokeswoman said: "Some names have been put forward which are being investigated and we are currently running checks on them."