BAN THE ANIMALS; Soccer star's fury at thugs.

Byline: MARTIN FRICKER

THE thugs involved in the Carling Cup violence between West Ham and old rivals Millwall must be banned from matches for life - after being jailed.

That was the demand of former Hammers stalwart Alvin Martin yesterday after police described Tuesday night's bottle-andbrick clashes as the worst they have ever seen.

Veteran officers among the 390 on duty were shocked at the extent of the rioting between the feuding fans outside Upton Park.

The mayhem, in which a man was knifed, was a throwback to the 80s-style hooligan-ism portrayed in the 2005 film Green Street.

And defender Martin echoed the views of both clubs' chairmen, who have vowed to ban any troublemakers identified.

He said: "What happened in and outside the ground was sickening. It was clearly organised and those responsible should be locked up. And I don't mean for a few weeks. I mean for at least three years. Then they deserve to be banned from games for life. A lot of innocent fans were caught up in it."

Thirteen supporters were arrested in the toe-to-toe battles inside and outside the stadium.

The 43-year-old stabbed in the chest was stable in hospital last night with two more people injured as the yobs punched and kicked constables and stewards.

The fixture had been assessed as Category C IR (increased risk) - the highest level of threat - and nearby Queen's pub boarded up its windows in preparation.

Landlord Ron Bolwell, 70, said: "The ones causing the trouble weren't regular fans. They were baying and I've never seen that before."

Shopkeeper Hamad Khan, 26, added: "It was carnage. They were like crazed animals."

Ex hooligan Doug Brimson, who wrote his Green Street script drawing on his experiences with feuds, said: "Rioting is their idea of heaven - and this will happen again bans or no bans."

CAPTION(S):

OUTNUMBERED Riot cops try to hold off hooligan masses BOTTLE VICTIM A fan lies dazed and bleeding in an alley TOUGH TALK Martin