FOUR football hooligans who attacked York City fans in a terrifying ambush have been jailed for a total of five-and-a-half years.

Shaken City fans crouched behind cars to protect themselves from bottles and stones being hurled at them from across a canal as they were walking from a match in Lincoln to the railway station on April 19 last year.

Young children were reduced to tears as they were hit by stones during the ugly scenes, and several people were injured.

One season ticket holder said she had been forced to put a jacket over her 64-year-old disabled mother as the pair tried to dodge behind cars.

Lincoln Crown Court heard that some of the men had also kicked and punched police officers during the day's violence.

Jonathan Kirk, prosecuting, said young men had gathered in groups of up to 100, in a day that "shamed the city of Lincoln".

He said two of the defendants, Leon Clarkson, 21, of Lincoln, and Martin Sidney, 19, of Branston, near Lincoln, had been seen threatening rival fans before and after the game.

Another, Peter Thompson, 27, of Lincoln, beckoned York supporters to a fight and threw missiles at them.

York City Supporters Club vice-chairman Robert Havercroft, who was one of the fans who came under attack, welcomed the sentences.

He said: "We are happy that action has been taken after the experience that we encountered - and that action will deter others from doing it."

Sentenced to two years in jail for his part in the attack was John Jackson, 28, of Lincoln, who was at the forefront of a mob that threatened police.

Fellow Lincoln City supporters Clarkson, 21, and Thompson, 27, were each given a one-year jail sentence.

Sidney, 19, was given 18 months in a young offenders' institution.

All were given a six-year order banning them from attending football matches after pleading guilty to violent disorder.

A fifth man, Andrew Isherwood, 37, of Lincoln, was given a 180-hour community punishment order, as well as a five-year football ban, after admitting of the lesser charge of threatening behaviour.

The defence counsel told the court that the men had played differing roles in the violence.

But Judge John Machin told the defendants: "You were behaving in a way which is quite unacceptable in this country and which is far too prevalent.

"You were behaving in a way which citizens of this country will be entitled to expect will not be tolerated.

"It is their peace you are disturbing and you have no right to do it, any of you."

Later, it was revealed that Lincolnshire Police had too few officers at the scene to stop violence breaking out.

Mr Havercroft, who wrote to the force after the attack to ask what had gone wrong during the police operation, said: "It's very rare that you encounter something like this. I'm glad the matter hasn't been swept under the carpet.

"At the end of the day, we are trying to attract more families to come to football matches. We look forward to future, trouble-free visits to Lincoln."

Updated: 10:28 Monday, May 17, 2004