Burnley man charged with manslaughter of Blackpool football fan

    A Burnley man has been charged with the manslaughter of a Blackpool football fan.

    Detectives investigating the death of football fan Tony Johnson in Blackpool and the disorder leading up to it, have in total charged ten men.

    Mr Johnson (pictured), 55, from Blackpool, suffered a serious head injury after being assaulted outside the Manchester pub at approximately 7pm on Saturday 4th March last year, following a football match between Blackpool and Burnley earlier that day.

    He died later in hospital.

    Following consultations with the Crown Prosecution Service, officers today charged Jake Balmforth, 34, of Tarvin Close, Burnley, with the manslaughter of Mr Johnson.

    Nine men have been charged in relation to the disorder that led to Mr Johnson being assaulted.

    John Oswell, 49, of Royal Avenue, Blackpool, Jonothan Lines, 31, of Millington Avenue, Blackpool, Reece Hutchinson, 19, of Briarfield Road, Poulton-le-Fylde, and Callum Howarth, 29, of Boleyn Court, Dalkeith Avenue, Blackpool, are charged with affray.

    Nicholas Schofield, 31, of Langroyd Road, Colne, John Whiteside, 46, of Noyna Road, Foulridge, Colne, Jason Tattersall, 19, of Aylesbury Walk, Burnley, Joshua Ashton, 19, of Rimmington Avenue, Burnley, and Zak Bailey, 19, of Highfield Avenue, Foulridge, Colne, are charged with affray.

    All 10 men have been bailed to appear before Preston Magistrates Court on Wednesday 13th March.

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