Police today warned of possible World Cup disorder because ministers ignored their advice not to grant a blanket extension to pub opening hours. The Home Office has allowed pubs extra time to serve after usual closing hours to cater for fans watching England and Scotland matches in the tournament being held in America, Mexico, and Canada, with many kick-offs late in the evening UK time.
Police Chiefs Overruled
Police chiefs said they had warned ministers against the move, arguing that 'common sense tells us this will give us more problems' – but were overruled. Mark Roberts, Chief Constable of Cheshire and the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) Lead for Football Policing, said ministers were 'passing the buck' to local forces. He stated that the Home Office decision to allow any pub in England and Wales to stay open late for any home nation match after the group stages 'was against' NPCC advice.
When asked how the Home Office responded to police chiefs' concerns, Mr Roberts said the reply was: 'Yeah, [we're] going ahead with it.'
Preference for Normal Procedures
Mr Roberts said it would have been better if ministers had not intervened, noting that the Licensing Act already allows individual pubs to apply for extensions. 'We would have preferred normal procedures,' he said. 'Those places that are well run, in sensible areas, will benefit from it. If you allow everyone to do it, the place gets saturated, and it could cause some issues.'
He added: 'I don't think all hell's going to break loose. Let's be sensible about this. Summer's a busy period for us anyway. We recognise in any tournament, there's an increase in various demands associated with it. But if England progress, as we hope they do, and the licensing is basically a blanket exemption - common sense tells us this will give us more problems.'
Impact on Policing
The chief constable acknowledged that forces would cope, but warned of knock-on effects. 'We'll cope. We always cope. What it'll mean is that the forces will have to look at their plans, but potentially have to scale officers on later anyway, but this would extend it, so it means that officers will work potentially late shifts into the early hours. Knock-on effects taking officers away from local communities.' He also warned that taking police officers away from normal duties could lead to an increase in domestic violence cases.
The Home Office was approached for comment. Meanwhile, tickets to watch England's World Cup matches in venues across the country have been selling fast. Although England do not face Croatia until June 17, advanced bookings for pubs and venues – particularly those with large outdoor spaces and fan zones – are being snapped up much faster than in previous years. At the Big Penny Social in Walthamstow, east London, space is becoming increasingly limited for England's opening game, which starts at 9pm GMT. The venue, a large beer hall with a large outdoor area, is charging £12 per ticket and has already seen 'strong demand.'
