Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has backed Sol Campbell's call for abuse of players and officials to be stamped out.

Gunners fans came under fire for the vitriolic abuse they hurled at old boy Ashley Cole, now of Chelsea, in Sunday's game at the Emirates.

Cole responded with a 'V-sign' on the final whistle, although the gesture went unpunished by the FA, presumably on the basis of intense provocation.

The same weekend, Portsmouth captain Campbell suffered at the hands of Tottenham fans and felt compelled to speak out in favour of tougher sanctions against abusive fans.

Wenger agreed with former Arsenal and England centre-back Campbell, saying: "At the moment, what is happening is that if you, or anybody, gives abuse back to anybody in the stand, then you are charged and you are punished."

"But you can get plenty of abuse from the crowd that is not punished. And you cannot say that is justice.

"It is not just because you are out in the centre of the pitch that you deserve abuse. Ninety-nine percent of the people who get it don't deserve it so it is part of the (problem of lack of) respect in our society I think.

"My opinion is that it is better it stops because who likes it? Who wants to be abused? Nobody.

"I would like it to change. Why should we not respect people just because they have a shirt on and not a suit? It's the same for everybody."

A Football Association spokesman declined to comment on Wenger's call for change but referred to a recent FA statement that said laws already existed in this area.

"Put simply, it's against the law," said the FA statement.

"Individual clubs have to work with the police if necessary to enforce the laws."

Alex Chick / Eurosport