A SAINTS fan was arrested at St Mary's last night after an alleged incident of 'homophobic abuse'.

The incident reportedly took place during the Premier League game between Saints and visitors Brighton - which ended in a 2-2 draw.

Police say a man, 25, was seen to be making a 'homophobic hand gesture' towards Brighton fans.

A spokesperson said: "The man, from Southampton, was arrested under Section 5 of the Public Order Act.

"He has been released from police custody but remains under investigation."

The arrest was first reported on the Twitter account of Hampshire Police's football unit, Saints FC Cop.

The tweet said: " Great atmosphere tonight, sadly one arrest for homophobic abuse."

It was later confirmed in the thread that a Saints fan was arrested.

Brighton fans have previously been made the victims of homophobic abuse.

The Sussex city is often cited as the unofficial 'gay capital' of the UK and each year holds the country's biggest Pride parade.

Last year, Leicester FC ejected a number of its fans during a clash with Brighton following homophobic chanting.

In 2013, the then Championship side complained to the FA over continued homophobic chanting against the club's fans.