A joint review group to examine issues of crowd control management at cricket matches is to be set up following a meeting today, involving representatives of the England and Wales Cricket Board, Sports Minister Richard Caborn, Home Office Minister John Denham and the Association of Chief Police Officers.

The group will look at all aspects of crowd management, existing legislation and ground regulations to see how they can be best applied to deal with the type of incidents which happened during the recent NatWest Series.

The group, which consists of representatives from ECB, the police, DCMS and the Home Office, has been asked to report to Ministers within four weeks.

Sports Minister Richard Caborn said: "We have had a very useful meeting today and have explored a number of areas. It is important that all parties; the police, cricket authorities and the Government work together to find solutions. This is an issue we take very seriously and I look forward to seeing the group's report."

ECB Chief Executive Tim Lamb said: "The issue of safety at all cricket grounds is a top priority for the ECB and we are absolutely determined to ensure that all possible measures are exhaustively explored to ensure the safety of players, officials and spectators."

© ECB