The Football Association have been urged to take action in a police complaint about the verbal abuse directed at former Tottenham favourite Sol Campbell at Fratton Park on Sunday.

Hampshire Constabulary say they were prompted to take the unusual step of asking the FA to intervene by "the sheer number of people involved" in the chanting directed at the Portsmouth defender by visiting Spurs fans.

The FA are awaiting reports from witnesses and officials at the game, including referee Mike Dean before deciding whether to take matters further but they have already been contacted by the Hampshire police - who admitted it was "not feasible" to make arrests.

A statement from the FA said: "The FA recognises that football has a duty to challenge all discrimination within the game and our aim is to confront aggressive issues and obscene chanting and abuse.

"The FA takes these matters seriously and will investigate any alleged case we are made aware of, taking action where necessary."

Pompey manager Harry Redknapp branded the verbal attacks on the 34-year-old - who left Spurs on a free transfer at the end of his White Hart Lane contract in June 2001 to join fierce local rivals Arsenal - as "filthy".

A Hampshire police spokesman said: "Our officers at the game were aware of the problem but it was not feasible to make arrests in that kind of huge crowd situation. So no arrests were made.

"But what we have done is make a complaint to the FA about the conduct of fans which will, hopefully, be dealt with in an appropriate manner.

"We deal with these issues case by case, match by match, and on this occasion the sheer number of people involved was just too many for us to take action against individuals."

The FA could charge Tottenham with failing to control their supporters, even though this action has obvious anomalies and is usually directed towards the home club when offensive behaviour comes into question.

[Daily Express]

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