Five Chelsea fans accused of racism on Paris Metro to appear in court

Five Chelsea fans who were allegedly involved in the racist incident in Paris to face court charges

London, March 12 (IANS) Five fans of the English football club Chelsea who have been accused of involvement in a racist incident in Paris have been ordered to appear in court, media reported on Wednesday.

The fans sang racist chants on the Paris Metro and prevented a black man from boarding the train ahead of a Champions League match against French club Paris Saint-Germain on February 17, according to a Xinhua report.

The five men have to appear in a London court on March 25. Police have applied for football banning orders to be imposed on the accused men.

Such orders can be issued after a conviction for a football-related offence and last for three to 10 years. They are imposed to prevent unruly fans from going to matches in Britain or abroad, and a breach of the order can lead to a period of up to six months in prison.