SUSSEX Police are refusing to answer further questions about the false claims of weapons at the Albion v Crystal Palace match.

Chief Inspector Simon Nelson, who oversaw policing of the game, told the press and public in a statement that officers had recovered knives and knuckledusters on the night of the heated affair at the Amex last month.

His employers later said this was untrue, that officers had logged the weapons in “good faith” and apologised to both clubs.

It also emerged the weapons were never even recovered in evidence.

On Monday, The Argus requested an interview with Chief Constable Giles York to get to the bottom of the claims.

But the force declined.

A police spokesman responded saying: “We have made a statement and an apology in relation to this matter, along with a further response to The Argus’s request for information.

“We do not wish to add to that.”

Flares and bangers were set off by away supporters at the stadium, and Ch Ins Nelson described the scenes as a “return to the dark days of football”.

However, the retraction of the weapons comments leaves many questions for police over the night of November 28.

But it seems they may never be answered after the force’s latest refusal to discuss why its officers said what they said.

On Saturday we reported Sussex Police’s unwillingness to answer 14 questions put to them about their comments regarding knives and knuckledusters.

They dismissed the direct questions and came back with a statement from Chief Superintendent Neil Honnor which said: “We received intelligence relating to weapons and pyrotechnics, which were reported in good faith following the match, but which we now accept were only partially correct in that there were pyrotechnics.”

Sussex Police’s original claims of weapons was also released without confirmation from Albion, who were left “extremely disappointed” by the statement.

Paul Barber, the club’s chief executive, wrote in The Argus on Monday to vent the club’s feelings.

He said: “To be clear, the original Sussex Police statement on fan-related disturbances was released without our approval – but we trusted it and took it at face value.

“However, when we learned of the inaccuracies contained within the statement, we drew them to the attention of Sussex Police immediately.

“We have since made very clear, and in the strongest possible terms, our extreme disappointment with various communications from Sussex Police leading up to, immediately after, and since Crystal Palace’s visit to the Amex.”