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POLICE trying to quell fan violence before a Celtic-Motherwell game branded the scenes of mayhem a “war zone”.

Officers giving evidence against three fans arrested in the trouble at Fir Park said missiles were being hurled by opposing supporters, with innocent passers-by at risk of serious injury.

PC Adrian Kelly, 44, said: “I became aware of large-scale

disturbances around Windmillhill Street and, when we got round, the atmosphere was diabolical, totally horrendous. In fact, it was just like a war zone.

“Bottles and bricks were being thrown between fans while innocent bystanders got caught right in the middle of it and needed my help to get away from it.”

PC Karen Taylor, 31, said the atmosphere was hostile as Celtic fans arrived by train.

She said: “We were aware of radio contact saying the crowds had come together at the police station and that officers were asking for back-up. The crowd were singing anti-police songs like ‘all cops are b******s’ and there was a high level of drunkenness.”

But, despite their evidence, the sheriff cleared three men accused under controversial new legislation launched to curb offensive behaviour at football games.

One the men cleared was an internet troll who joked about the murder of soldier Lee Rigby, 25.

Michael Morton, 19, was alleged to have been involved in the street fight before the Motherwell-Celtic match last December.

Celtic fan Morton, from Stirling, was exposed by the Sunday Mail for online postings mocking

murder victim Rigby.

He wrote on Facebook: “Lee Rigby. Rest In Pieces.”

He was arrested with Mark Cowan, 19, and Alistair McKune, 16, during the disturbances.

At Hamilton Sheriff Court last week, the three denied charges under the Offensive Behaviour at Football Act.

A two-day trial saw them walk free after the charge against Cowan, from Coatbridge, and McKune, from Motherwell, was found not proven and the charge against Morton was dropped.

Morton and McKune were charged with attacking and threatening a rival group of fans while Cowan was accused of inciting violence. But Sheriff Joyce Powrie said: “I am not happy that the evidence before me proves guilt beyond reasonable doubt and I find the charges against you not proven.”

Celtic beat Motherwell 5-0 in a match overshadowed by the off-field events.

Smoke bombs and flares were set off and supporters sitting next to a banner for Celtic’s Green Brigade fans vandalised 200 seats, causing £10,000 worth of damage.

Celtic condemned the scenes and suspended 128 fans from all their games in response.

They also effectively disbanded the Green Brigade by cancelling the season tickets of 250 fans in Section 111 at Parkhead and offering them seats elsewhere.

Morton and the other two fans were prosecuted under the law which was created in the aftermath of a 2011 Old Firm shame game.But it has been attacked by human rights campaigners, academics, lawyers, fans, Celtic FC and the judiciary, including a sheriff who described it as “mince”.

Scottish Labour have vowed to scrap the law if they win the 2015 Holyrood election.

A teenage Partick Thistle fan was charged under the act for chanting abuse about the Pope and Queen but was admonished by a sheriff who said he should not have been prosecuted.

When the Sunday Mail confronted Morton over his sick comments about Rigby, he refused to speak.

He previously also boasted of stealing Remembrance Day poppies from a McDonald’s and posed for a photo squatting over the scattered flowers on a pavement.

Private Rigby, of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, was attacked and killed near his barracks in Woolwich, south-east London, on May 22.