Fans kick off at the West Ham vs Millwall game Reuters

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THE MET today hit back at suggestions they had underestimated the threat of violence ahead of the East End football riots.

Law-abiding supporters of both West Ham and Millwall accused police of taking their eye off the ball as violence erupted on Tuesday night.

Hooligans hurled bricks, bottles and darts at police and rival fans outside West Ham's Upton Park, while inside play was suspended due to three pitch invasions.

Some questioned why the Carling Cup game was allowed to be played on a midweek night – giving troublemakers the chance to drink all afternoon.

One said: "That looks like a mistake. Previous West Ham v Millwall games have been lunchtime kick-offs to minimise drunkenness."

"The policing was appalling. The fans were mixed together as they walked from the Tube to the ground, and trouble started almost straight away"

Another West Ham fan, Paul Jacobs, said: "The policing was appalling. The fans were mixed together as they walked from the Tube to the ground, and trouble started almost straight away.

"It was a night fixture so people had downed a few drinks and because so many were coming from work all over London the police couldn’t keep the fans apart properly."

Hammers supporters Gavin Hadland added: "The fighting was incredibly widespread. People always say this is confined to a minority of fans, but this was a pretty big minority."

Read our columnist on the West Ham vs Millwall thug 'fans'

But Scotland Yard denied they had been preoccupied by planning for the Climate Camp protests and Notting Hill Carnival this weekend.

The match had been categorised as high risk and the threat was taken seriously, Scotland Yard said.

They deployed 500 officers for the game, sending in a further 125 public-order officers when the fighting began.

In total, 750 officers from the Met and British Transport Police were needed to restore order.

Chief Superintendent Steve Wisbey, who oversaw the policing operation, said that some people had come to the game "intent on causing a confrontation".

He said: "We will proactively seek to obtain football banning orders for those responsible, so they will not be permitted in stadiums throughout the country or abroad."

The controversy was yet another blow to West Ham. First-team player Calum Davenport’s playing future is in doubt after he was stabbed in the legs at the weekend, while promising midfielder Jack Collison's father was killed in a motorcycle accident as he travelled to Sunday’s home game against Tottenham Hotspur.

Police have arrested two men in connection with £1.5million-rated Davenport’s career-threatening assault. A 25-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, and a 19-year-old man arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm is being questioned in connection with the attack.

Read our columnist on the West Ham vs Millwall thug 'fans'