Tuesday 24 May 2022 11:49 AM Off-duty police superintendent caught celebrating taking part in Bournemouth ... trends now

A top police superintendent has been caught taking part in a pitch invasion after Bournemouth Football Club was promoted to the Premier League.

On May 3, Bournemouth beat Nottingham Forest 1-0 at Dean Court - and Superintendent Sarah Derbyshire, 49, was one of three off-duty police officers at the forefront of the celebrations.

Police have been scouring CCTV to find out who took part in the pitch invasion which was the first in a string of similar incidents which left some football players being assaulted.

Ms Derbyshire and two of her colleagues from Dorset Police force were seen celebrating on the pitch as the Bournemouth fans took to the grass where some supporters set off smoke bombs.

A source told The Sun: 'When police were looking through the footage they had the shock of their lives when they saw the superintendent on the pitch celebrating.

'There were a couple of other officers from the force who got carried away and ran on to the pitch to jump up and down with the crowd.

'None of the officers caused any trouble and it was all good-natured. But the law is the law and clearly they, of all people, should have been aware that what they were doing was illegal.'

It is against the law for spectators to go onto the playing area of the stadium, under the Football Offences Act 1991. A criminal charge can lead to up to six months in prison.

Electrical engineer Robert Biggs, 30, of Derbyshire, headbutted Sheffield United striker Billy Sharp after storming onto the pitch after Nottingham Forest beat Sharp's team 3-2 on penalties on 17 May. 

He was jailed for 24 weeks and was also handed a 10-year football banning order after pleading guilty to assault at Nottingham Magistrate's Court. 

Police officers monitoring the CCTV notified the professional standards unit of Dorset Police that the three police officers were spotted taking part in the celebrations.