A football club steward saw a group of away supporters ripping up pages from the Quran during a Championship fixture, a court has heard.

Birmingham City steward John Newbould told magistrates that several Middlesbrough fans started chanting "England" while tearing up a copy of the Islamic holy book.

Giving evidence at a trial of two women accused of a religiously aggravated public order offence, Mr Newbould said a colleague had requested a CCTV camera to monitor the events.

Gemma Parkin, aged 18, of Kimberley Drive, and 50-year-old Julie Phillips, of Kenmore Road, both Middlesbrough, have pleaded not guilty to causing harassment, alarm or distress during a fixture at Birmingham's St Andrew's ground on December 7 last year.

Mr Newbould, who was on duty in the Gil Merrick stand at the time of the alleged offences, told Birmingham Magistrates' Court: "I was at the back of the stand, where I am based for most games, when I saw, about four rows in front of me, somebody ripping something up."

After making his way down the stand, Mr Newbould said, a woman of large build informed him she was ripping up the Quran and then started chanting.

"My mate was behind me and I asked him if he could radio it through so they could get the cameras to monitor it," Mr Newbould told the court.

After the game had ended, he went on, he followed the woman he had seen ripping up pages from the Quran into an away fans' car park, where the police spoke to her.

The trial, which is due to finish later today, heard that around 700 Middlesbrough fans had travelled to Birmingham for the match.