A HAMPSHIRE County councillor has stressed that Saints fans must continue to stay seated despite the strides being made in the standing campaign.

Cllr Mike Roberts, who represents Aldershot South and is a member of the London Saints supporters club, believes Southampton City Council are right to enforce the law.

In a letter to The Daily Echo, he wrote: "Whilst I am not a member of the appropriate authority which would deal with the licensing arrangements of Southampton Football Club, I am a member of an authority which also has a football club which is licensed and the rules are fairly strict.

"There is to be no standing in seated area at all - this is a contravention of the Act and will be enforced by the appropriate licensing authority - in this case Southampton City Council.

"The fact that Southampton City Council are bending over backwards, quite rightly in my view, to try and instil a different culture on the few fans who still insist on standing, is commendable.

"However, when push comes to shove, they have the ultimate legal responsibility and the football club the immediate legal responsibility.

"This situation can't go on indefinitely and I believe that, come the end of November, if there still remains a hardcore of 100 or less who will insist on standing throughout the game, then either those fans will have to their season tickets revoked or the club will have to close the stand in question.

"I hope that the few will actually get the message for the majority.

"There are no ifs and buts regarding the situation."

Since the Blackburn home game, both the city council and the club have thanked fans for their increased compliance with the standing ban.