POLICE launched a crackdown on organised football thugs during dawn raids across Southampton today,

More than 150 officers swooped on homes across the city and in London.

Police said today they made eight arrests in the city and seized computer equipment.

The men are being held at Southampton Central Police station for questioning in relation to a huge fight between Southampton and Charlton fans in London in April. The operation, code-named Operation Fabric, came after investigations into a fight at Maze Hill station, south London, involving Charlton Athletic and Southampton fans on April 13.

In what police believe was a planned confrontation, fighting broke out at Maze Hill soon after 2pm on the Saturday of the Charlton v Southampton 1-1 draw in the Premier-ship.

About 15 Saints fans left the train at the station and clashed with a group comprising about 20 Charlton supporters.

By the time police arrived at Maze Hill the fans had dispersed, but witness questioning and painstaking work trawling CCTV and photographic evidence led to the identification of the men.

Officers from the British Transport Police, Hampshire and the Metropolitan Police carried out the dawn raids at ten addresses in London and eight in Southampton. Eighteen were arrested in total on suspicion of violent disorder.

Assistant Chief Constable Paul Nicholas of the British Transport Police said: "Our experience of football hooliganism over the past two years is it has become more organised and the violence more intense. We have devoted increasing resources to policing football fans and have a good record of pre-empting disorder through good intelligence and the timely deployment of officers to escort trains and cover stations.

"But events such as those at Maze Hill, deliberately organised to avoid police detection, do occur and are of growing concern to rail users and train companies. We are determined to do what it takes to crack down on this antisocial behaviour."

Last season British Transport Police implemented a new ten-point strategy for dealing with football-related hooliganism and is pursuing similar operations in partnership with local police.