Greater Manchester Police

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Fans complain about Uefa police

 

Trouble flared during and after the cup final

Dozens of Rangers fans have complained about their treatment by police in the violent clashes which broke out during Rangers' Uefa Cup final defeat.

 

Many supporters have accused officers of using "excessive force" in handling the trouble in Manchester city centre.

 

A total of 63 complaints are being investigated by the Greater Manchester Police Professional Standards unit.

 

Police made 42 arrests as altercations involving Rangers fans left 15 officers and a number of supporters injured.

 

Rangers lost the final 2-0 to Zenit St Petersburg on 14 May.

 

Trouble first flared on the night after a technical fault with a big screen in Piccadilly Gardens left up to 20,000 fans frustrated.

 

Riot police were sent in as violent clashes broke out along nearby Market Street, Oldham Street and Newton Street.

 

To date the force has received 38 complaints about officers' conduct, the majority of which are for excessive force

 

Force spokeswoman

 

A number of Rangers fans questioned after the trouble blamed the police operation and organisers of the big screens for the scenes.

 

On Tuesday a Greater Manchester Police (GMP) spokeswoman confirmed the force had received a number of formal complaints, but said they had received twice as many messages of praise.

 

"To date the force has received 38 complaints about officers' conduct, the majority of which are for excessive force," she said.

 

"GMP has also received 25 policy complaints to date in relation to the incident. These are more general complaints about the policing operation."

 

She added that the force had also received 108 messages of support and praise from members of the public about the policing operation.

 

"Most of these were via the force website while a handful of letters were sent to the chief constable," she said.

 

The force released CCTV footage of some of the violence, which showed one officer, Pc Mick Regan, being kicked, punched and stamped on by a mob.

 

Pc Regan said the scenes of violence were the worst he had witnessed in 23 years with the Greater Manchester force.

 

A committee of MPs has said it may hold its own inquiry into the violence following the results of Manchester City Council's own probe into the screen failure.

 

 

 

 

Taken from the BBC website.