A ROW between a police officer parent and a referee led to a children's football match being called off.

The youngsters only played one half of the under-15s game between Wroughton and Stratton Juniors on Sunday - before the referee called time.

Referee David Leppard decided to call off the North Wilts and District Youth and Minors Football league match after parent PC Stephen Burson refused to leave the pitch after he was red-carded.

A children's football match had to be called off at half time after a row between a policeman parent and the referee.

The match official red carded the off duty cop during an under 15s match between Stratton Juniors and Wroughton on Sunday after "that was never a foul" was shouted at him.

But the man in black felt forced to abandon the match completely when the parent of a Wroughton player was slow to leave the pitch.

The North Wilts & District Youth & Minors Football League match was closely poised at 3-2 when the ref called a halt to proceedings.

League spokesman Mark Smedley said: "It's very regrettable because it was nothing to do with the players or managers.

"It was an altercation between the referee and a parent.

"It's the first time we have had an incident like this in my time.

"It's absolutely not something we would like to see happening again.

"We are still busy collecting the versions of both sides and are waiting on a report from the referee. It may end up being a matter for the FA."

The FA has backed the decision and warned that abusive parents are getting out of control.

Mike Benson, secretary of the Wiltshire FA, said: "It's very, very unusual. There have been abandoned games before.

"But it's not very often, it doesn't happen normally and it's very unusual at this level.

"It's getting completely out of hand with the verbal abuse we're getting from parents.

"The way they're going on I think some clubs will be having their affiliation taken away from them if they're not careful.

"The referee acts on behalf of the county association and therefore we have to give him our backing."

Referee David Leppard refused to comment on the matter other than to say that he stood by his decision.

And Stratton felt the ref was within his rights to stop the game.

Stratton club secretary Kevin Iles said: "It was nothing to do with us, it was to do with the opponents.

"A parent was asked to leave and he refused to go.

"The ref was entitled to abandon the game, obviously he must have felt threatened."

And manager of Stratton Dave Tait, 45, who has been with the club eight years, said: "I'm just disappointed in the whole event. It was unbelievable really.

"I've never seen anything like it.

"The game was played in good spirit and it's the kids I feel sorry for.

"I can understand the ref calling it off because he was abused."

But PC Stephen Burson, who had his collar felt by the ref, hit back saying: "What I said should have been water off a ducks back.

"I can understand if I was abusive but I didn't swear at him, I just said 'that was never a foul'.

"He's a ref and it's gone to his head, he just had an authority thing, whether it was some sort of power trip I don't know."

And Wroughton under 15s secretary Booby Moore, 46, said: "It was absolutely farcical.

"The comment that was made was the same thing you hear a thousand times when someone makes a decision at a football match.

"People make comments about football matches all the time."

Gareth Bethell