A RETURN to perimeter fencing is not the answer to tackling pitch invasions and would represent “a failure of us all,” Britain’s football policing lead has said.

Recent matches in the Premier League and the EFL have been marred by pitch invasions, and in some cases fans have clashed with players and other club staff after coming onto the field.

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe has warned that a failure to tackle the issue could end in tragedy, and the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) has issued a fresh statement calling on the football and police authorities to take a tough stance on anyone invading the pitch.