Wigan Athletic have lost part of their High Court battle with Greater Manchester Police over a £300,000 bill.

The Latics have been at loggerheads with the local police for months after claiming they were being overcharged for covering match days at the JJB Stadium.

Wigan claimed Greater Manchester Police (GMP) had effectively trebled its charges for policing games since their promotion to the top-flight and asked a High Court judge to referee the legal battle.

The club were unhappy that they were being asked for foot the bill for policing both the area surrounding the stadium as well as inside.

However, Mr Justice Mann has ruled that the GMP can claim some of the unpaid money and has urged the two parties to get together to prevent a future disagreement.

"The time taken in dealing with matters of detail on less than a quarter of the disputed matches shows how undesirable it is to approach matters on this basis," he said.

"There was no alternative in the case before me, but it should not be allowed to happen again.

"It is vital that the club and police get together before each season and reach an agreement as to how policing is to be paid for."