A pitch-invader shows Bath's Kyle Eastmond more than he bargained for at Kingsholm © Getty Images

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Gloucester have admitted that some home fans "crossed the line" during last Saturday's heated derby defeat by Bath.

In a statement, Gloucester said they have received complaints of supporters acting abusively during the match, particularly using foul language aimed at match officials.

And while the club were quick to point out the behaviour was limited to a small minority of fans, they have promised a crackdown to prevent it from happening again.

Gloucester's statement said: "The club has received several complaints regarding the behaviour of a very small minority of supporters at the home fixture against Bath Rugby on April 12, in particular, the use of foul and abusive language towards the match officials.

"As a result, the relevant CCTV has been studied in detail in an attempt to try and identify the individuals concerned. The club is now liaising with the relevant authorities to determine an appropriate course of action.

"As a club, Gloucester Rugby is completely committed to respecting the core values of rugby union as defined by the RFU - Teamwork, Respect, Enjoyment, Discipline and Sportsmanship.

"Gloucester Rugby is rightly proud of the passionate and committed support that it receives week in and week out from its supporters, the vast majority of whom always respect and abide by the values of the game.

"However, it also accepts that a very small minority crossed the line at the Bath game and behaved in an unacceptable manner. This simply cannot be condoned."

The club also announced that cards carrying messages to reinforce the RFU's 'I am part of the rugby family' campaign will be handed out at the final home game of the season, against London Irish on Saturday, May 3.

Last Saturday's West Country derby was a stormy affair as Bath narrowly won 18-17. Five players were sin-binned and two sent off in a match that ended with a mass punch-up and a bottle being thrown from the crowd at referee Tim Wigglesworth.

Gloucester's Tavis Knoyle and Sila Puafisi were both issued with red cards and face RFU disciplinary hearings today. The bottle was thrown by a teenager who was on a rugby tour and not a fan of the club, Gloucester said.