Newcastle United fans have been left scratching their heads in bewilderment after a strange fence has been erected outside St. James' Park.
The structure has been installed outside the East Stand of the stadium on Leazes Terrace and some Magpies' fans have raised concerns it could be a fire hazard if left in place. The landowner of the small space is not associated with or affiliated with Newcastle United and suspicions have been raised.
The Newcastle United Supporters Trust (NUST) have addressed the recent installation and pointed out that it will be "in the way of supporters and could have dangerous consequences and result in significant overcrowding".
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"We strongly urge the landowner to remove the current structure and to stop putting structures in place which could compromise the safety of our supporters on matchdays," NUST said in a statement posted online on Friday. "It's disgraceful to display such openly petty behaviour, which shows a blatant disregard for the potential of their actions to put the safety of our fans at risk."
One supporter online suggested the culprit should be held accountable, whilst others pondered whether he supported local rivals Sunderland and merely wanted to play a practical joke on fans.
"We have served planning contravention notices when previous items have been placed on the stretch of land in question," a spokesperson said. "We are reviewing planning legislation to understand whether planning permission should have been sought, and whether a contravention notice could be issued."
A Newcastle United spokesperson added: "We are aware that one of our neighbouring landowners, St James Terrace Land Ltd, has chosen to erect a timber fence on land which abuts the exterior of the East Stand of St. James' Park.
"The landowner is not associated with or affiliated to the Club in any way whatsoever. In the interests of continuing to provide uninterrupted access for our fans and others using St. James' Park, particularly on matchdays, we have offered alternative nearby sites to the landowner for the safe storage of their items and will continue to seek to engage in constructive dialogue with the landowner on this matter. We will monitor the situation and will work closely with our partners to find a sensible way forward."
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