POLICE have issued pictures believed to be of drunken fans who attacked officers after this season's Sunderland-Newcastle derby match.

Troublemakers threw missiles, including bottles and cans at police, some of whom were on horseback.

The incident, after the match on Saturday, April 26, happened as police were trying to disperse fans from Sunderland's Stadium of Light ground.

Detectives at Sunderland City Area Command have been studying security television footage and have already traced 12 men alleged to have been involved in the fracas.

They have been arrested and charged with disorder offences and police have made applications for football banning orders.

Police have yet to identify five others who were in Millennium Way at about 5.20pm and whose images have now been released.

Detective Sergeant Lisa Brackenbury, of Northumbria Police, said: "As always, it is always the minority who spoil things for thousands of law abiding fans.

"We will take strong action against those responsible for trouble in or outside football grounds."

The derby match, which Newcastle won 1-0, attracted a crowd of 45,000. Police made 49 arrests on the day, most of them inside or in the immediate vicinity of the ground. They were mainly for minor public order offences and drunkeness.

There were also reports of some minor skirmishes between rival fans before the game.

Northumbria Police have had a number of successes in tracing football hooligans and bringing convictions against them, with the help of security camera footage.

Last month, they published pictures on their website of 26 fans who invaded the pitch during England's 2-0 victory in April against Turkey at the Stadium of Light.

Police held a joint press conference with the Football Association to publicise the release of the pictures, with the majority of the fans having since been identified and arrested.

* Anyone who recognises any of the people in the photographs taken after the Sunderland-Newcastle derby match is asked to call Sunderland City CID on 0191-454 7555 extension 66052, during office hours.