Brit cops face World Cup hooligan hell on each side of the Atlantic as a result of Trump
England will have just three spotters on the lookout for trouble at the tournament in the US, Canada and Mexico while licensing row leaves cops struggling to cover late night UK pub watch parties
English fans can be a little unruly(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Brit police face World Cup hooligan hell on both sides of the Atlantic after an astonishing double fan safety snub.
England will have just three UK spotters looking out for trouble in the tournament in North America next month – compared with 40 at Euro 24 in Germany.
That is because Donald Trump ’s US refused to fund flying in the officers who are specially trained at sniffing out flare-ups. And cops across the UK face a nightmare policing TV match screenings in pubs, bars, clubs and restaurants.
The Government has allowed hospitality venues to extend opening hours so fans can watch England and Scotland’s late kick-offs. Police chiefs hoped venues opening late would still have to apply to licensing officials so officers could keep tabs on potential trouble hotspots.
But the Home Office refused – instead allowing any bar to open late on a whim. That means forces may need reinforcements to police late night trouble involving drunken fans at TV viewings.
Britain’s head of football policing Mark Roberts said: “We’re not trying to be killjoys but the existing licensing laws allow individual premises to apply for an extension.
“We think that’s a sensible way to do it so those responsible premises can stay open. Our concern is that premises may be in residential areas, may get saturation in one place and be a challenge for us to manage. We would have preferred normal procedures.
”So it will be basically more alcohol, disorder, and there’s a link to domestic abuse as well.’ It’s going to be a challenge for us to manage it. We would have preferred normal procedures apply on a case by case basis.”
Asked what the Home Office response to police was Mr Roberts said: “Yeah, going ahead with it. We’ll cope. We always cope. What it’ll mean is that the forces will have to look at their plans. We’re going to have to scale officers on later anyway but this would extend it.
“It means that officers will work potentially late shifts into the early hours. The knock-on effect is taking officers away from local communities.
“We would have liked to do it in a more controlled manner, to allow the benefits for the licensed trade, not just pass the buck on to policing to make it work.”
Of the lack of UK officers at the tournament he said: “It is what it is. We want our people out there. We would have liked more of our people out there. I’m not anticipating problems. It’s not a scare story.
“But we’d like more. We will do the best we can.”
