A CELTIC fan caused panic when he threw an ignited green and white smoke bomb into a busy pub hours after an Old Firm match.

Lifelong Hoops supporter Edward Rice, 55, pleaded guilty at Dumbarton Sheriff Court to culpably and recklessly throwing an ignited smoke grenade into The Royal Bar in Helensburgh, which filled with smoke to the danger of the occupants. The incident took place on September 23 last year.

Because of his reckless actions, which he claimed to have no recollection of, the Celtic Park season ticket holder has had a football banning order slapped on him, preventing him from entering every football ground in the United Kingdom for the next two years.

He has also to surrender his passport to police when Celtic are playing abroad, from now until the end of January 2020.

Fiscal depute Emma Thomson told the court Rice had just travelled to the town on a Celtic supporters bus after the game.

Ms Thomson then played CCTV evidence to Sheriff John Hamilton on screens in open court, showing the moments Rice hurled the smoke bomb into the packed pub, engulfing the premises with green and white smoke.

A customer was seen on screen picking up the grenade, running out of the pub and taking it to the other side of the road, with smoke still pouring from the item.

Defence lawyer Anna MacKay said: “The individual who purchased the grenade did so on the internet. It was nothing to do with the military and it was not a flare.

“Rice is a professional man and works as a civil engineer. His hobbies are hillwalking and being a football fan. 

“He is mortified by this offence and realises his conduct was both stupid and irresponsible. 

“He has no recollection of doing this but shows genuine remorse in respect of the incident.

“On the day of this Old Firm match he only managed to get a ticket for the game at the last minute. The pub itself is a mixed pub and indeed some of the people who had been on the bus with him were already inside for a drink.

“His actions were nothing short of sheer drunken stupidity. Sectarianism was not a motivation.

“My submission is that a football banning order does not fall into the legislation in this case. 

“He is a Celtic season ticket holder and has been to thousands, not hundreds, of Celtic games. Clearly alcohol had a big part to play.”

Sheriff John Hamilton told Rice: “A pretty strong message has to get out that people cannot carry smoke bombs and use them in this way.”