Senior Met officers stopped police from using force to prevent Wembley being stormed during Euro 2020 final over fears it would tarnish the force’s ‘brand image’, one policeman claims
- Fans breached London stadium during England’s match against Italy on July 11
- It was revealed this week that up to 5,000 supporters entered without tickets
- Met Police officer claimed they had not been ‘allowed’ to use robust deterrents
A policeman who tackled ticketless fans as they forced their way into Wembley during the Euro 2020 final has accused high-ranking officers of reluctance to engage in order to protect the ‘brand image’.
The male Metropolitan Police officer, who has not been named, had been speaking about the chaotic scenes at the London stadium during England’s match against Italy on July 11.
It was revealed earlier this week that up to 5,000 supporters without tickets had unlawfully gained entry – with breaches continuing all night until the penalty shootout.
The officer told The Times that he and his colleagues had not been ‘allowed’ to use robust deterrents as senior members of the force were reluctant to give the go-ahead.
The male Metropolitan Police officer, who has not been named, had been speaking about the chaotic scenes at the London stadium during England’s match against Italy on July 11
He told the publication: ‘The best we did was manhandle them down the ramps away from the stadium…
‘It’s all about the brand image. It is just annoying we are held back from doing our job. We are in public order gear for a reason.’
The officer also made a series of claims to suggest that authorities were not adequately prepared.
He said that many officers attending were hesitant due to being newly trained in public order policing.
He also said too few officers had been deployed along Wembley Way and claimed they had received ‘mixed messages’ about crowd engagement.
It was revealed earlier this week that up to 5,000 supporters without tickets had unlawfully gained entry – with breaches continuing all night until the penalty shootout
Earlier this week police released photographs of ten people they wanted to speak in connection with the violence that marred the Euro 2020 final at Wembley.
The images from the stadium and Central London were found by detectives after they scoured hundreds of hours of CCTV and police bodycam footage.
The Metropolitan Police, which has come in for stinging criticism more widely over its handling of the event, said it would bring those responsible for shocking scenes of violence to justice.
Police also said they had arrested two Wembley stewards for allegedly trying to sell passes to the Euro final for £4,500.
It was recently revealed that up to 5,000 ticketless fans may have forced their way inside.
With capacity for England’s first major final for 55 years limited to 60,000, those involved knew there would be empty seats so deployed a series of tactics to sneak into the stadium.
These included tailgating those with tickets through turnstiles, forcing open exit doors and disabled entrances, and bribing security guards to let them in.
Former Met Deputy Assistant Commissioner Andy Trotter last week described the Wembley scenes as ‘a stain on our country’s reputation’.
And current Deputy Assistant Commissioner Jane Connors said the final could have been abandoned if police had not stepped in.
MailOnline has contacted the Metropolitan Police for comment about the allegations.
Advertisement