England vs Wales Euro match could be terror attack target

Nicole Morley

Published June 16, 2016 7:52am Updated December 11, 2019 3:20pm

Picture Shows: General view, GV June 15, 2016 England fans in Lille, France, the day before the next match with Wales during Euro 2016. Fans sang under the watchful eye of the police and lit flares, some fans got into scuffles but there was no major violence. Non Exclusive WORLDWIDE RIGHTS Pictures by : FameFlynet UK © 2016 Tel : +44 (0)20 3551 5049 Email : info@fameflynet.uk.com — Thousands of England and Wales fans are expected to attend (Picture: Flynet)

England’s Euro 2016 match with Wales could be the target of a terror attack, a former Welsh secretary has warned.

Setting the hooliganism that has so far blighted the competition aside, Conservative David Jones voiced concerns due to the all-British nature of today’s fixture.

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Pensioner struck by lightning saved by his Marks & Spencer slippers Thousands of English and Welsh football fans are expected in Lens for the game and also in nearby Lille.

The Clwyd West MP told Home Secretary Theresa May: ‘You’ve mentioned the measures that you’re putting in place, together with your French colleagues, in anticipation of the match at Lens.

‘But given that this will be the first encounter between two British teams, do you share my concern that this may well prove to be a possible target for an external terrorist threat and can you say whether the security services are bearing this matter very much in mind?’

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Speaking in the Commons, Jones also praised the Welsh fans for their good behaviour during their nation’s first game against Slovakia in Bordeaux.

Mrs May replied: ‘I’m sure you will be reassured to know that (Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns) spoke to the Football Association of Wales yesterday on these matters.

File picture Doug Paulley from Wetherby, West Yorkshire. A case that will determine whether bus companies should make people with pushchairs and others move from buses' disabled spaces will be heard at the Supreme Court later. Wheelchair user Doug Paulley was told he could not travel on a bus to Leeds in 2012 when a mother with a pushchair refused to move from the disabled area. He says FirstGroup's "requesting, not requiring" policy is discriminatory. The bus operator says its policy is the most feasible that can be employed. Mr Paulley won an initial case against the operator FirstGroup Plc, declaring its policy of "requesting, not requiring" able-bodied passengers to move to be unlawful disability discrimination. FirstGroup appealed successfully to the Court of Appeal in 2014.

Do wheelchair users have priority over buggies on buses? Supreme Court to decide ‘Obviously we’re working with all authorities in relation to all of the home nations who are involved in this tournament.

‘You ask about the security and terrorist threat, the threat level for France remains at critical, the threat level for France has been critical for some time now, and I can assure you and the House that the law enforcement and security services here in the UK are working closely with their French counterparts in relation to the terrorist threat that we all face.’

Plaid Cymru’s Jonathan Edwards (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr) called for the English Football Association to ‘start taking responsibility’ for the actions of a small number of their country’s fans.

He told May: ‘As a seasoned supporter I am genuinely concerned… about what’s going to happen in the next 48 hours when Welsh fans find themselves in a toxic cocktail of a small minority of Russian and English football hooligans.

Man not guilty of burglary even though his soiled pants were found at crime scene Credit: Google/ Getty

Man found not guilty of burglary – even though his soiled pants were at the scene ‘The Welsh FA has advised their fans not to travel to Lens without a ticket and not to stay in Lille, as has the UK Government.

‘Will you call on the English FA to make a similar statement and to start taking responsibility for the actions of a small minority of their supporters?’

In her reply, May said: ‘Sadly what we’ve seen, as we know, is a number of Russian supporters instigating and involved in violence and sadly a small number of English supporters as well.

‘The message that should go very clearly from us, has gone from the England captain Wayne Rooney and England manager Roy Hodgson is that we want all fans to behave properly and not to get involved in any violence whatsoever.’

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