Hearts chief Ann Budge has confirmed sections of Tynecastle will remain shut for visits of Celtic , Rangers and Hibs this season.

The Jambos took the hardline stance to close a section of 200 seats, which adjoin the away end at Tynecastle, in April following trouble at the last Edinburgh derby.

Missiles including coins and a coconut and several pyrotechnics were thrown from the stands during a match in which Hibs ' Marvin Bartley was subjected to racial abuse.

Now Hearts supremo Budge has revealed the strict measure had a positive effect on behaviour at games - so much so that they will remain in place.

Asked if the closure would remain in place this season for games against the Old Firm and Hibs, Budge told BBC Scotland "We have closed corner sections. That will remain in place because it helped.

"We closed some of our own sections where we'd trouble.

"These are open again. But if we have the same sort of thing I will have to address it."

The closure came into play for Hearts' final two home games of last season - against Rangers and Kilmarnock.

The news comes just a day after Rangers were told to close a section of 3000 seats for Thursday's Europa League play-off decider against Legia Warsaw.

UEFA hit the Ibrox side with the punishment after fans sang sectarian songs at the qualifier against St Joseph's last month.

Budge also revealed the success of a 'shop-a-yob' hotline for supporters to alert the club when they witness misbehaviour.

"That is actually getting used more and more and more," she said.

"As a consequence of that, if somebody sees another supporter or other supporters misbehaving to the point that they think 'this is unacceptable', we can do something about it, and we have done.

"If the supporters themselves are saying, "this is not what we want going on at our club, that's good. That's what we need to get to."

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