Chelsea have permanently banned one supporter from Stamford Bridge for the use of racially abusive language and threatening and aggressive behaviour, the club have announced.

The incident happened during a game with Manchester City last December.

The football club has also temporarily excluded five other supporters for the use of abusive language and threatening and aggressive behaviour at the same game.

The Premier League club said it had delayed reaching a decision in the cases in order to ensure they did not prejudice the related police investigation.

The Crown Prosecution Service recently announced it had elected not to initiate any criminal prosecutions.

According to the club, all individuals sanctioned as a result of their investigation were offered the right to appeal and, where applicable, those appeals have been heard.

Referring to the supporter handed a lifetime ban from the ground, a club statement read: “While the club respects the decision of the CPS (not to charge the individual with a criminal offence), the question that it had to determine was not whether a criminal offence had been committed, but rather whether the individual acted in breach of the ticketing terms and conditions.

“In this regard, the club operates to the civil standard of proof, which is entirely different to the criminal standard.

“In reaching its decision, the club took into account the denial made by the individual as well as a range of other evidence, including video evidence and evidence from two lip-reading experts – both of whom advised that the individual had used words that are racially abusive.”

The club said the behaviour of all six individuals “crossed the line of what is acceptable”.

In the case of the supporter who was found by the club to have used racially abusive language, there was “no place for this behaviour” at Stamford Bridge and a permanent exclusion was the “appropriate sanction”.

“Chelsea Football Club finds all forms of discriminatory behaviour abhorrent and we will continue to operate a zero-tolerance approach to any incidents of racism,” the statement continued.

“We are proud to be a diverse, inclusive club where people from all cultures, communities and identities feel welcome.”

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