Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
‘Forty’ cops swoop on city centre pub
A DUNDEE street was closed off by police after reports that a group of up to 60 football fans was causing a disturbance.
Around 40 police officers were called to Union Street after staff from the Trades House Bar called for assistance.
A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: “Police attended in the Nethergate, Dundee, at about 6.15pm on Friday following concern about a large group of people in the area.
“Officers assisted licensed premises staff at the Trades House Bar.
“A 21-year-old man was charged and issued with a fixed penalty notice for drinking alcohol in the street.”
An eyewitness said he was dropping someone off in the Nethergate just after 6pm when he saw around 40 police officers in police vans descend in the area.
He said: “I have never seen so many police in one place in Dundee before — they were swarming everywhere.
“I heard they were there to keep an eye on the Hibs football fans who were arriving in the city on the train to go to the game at Tannadice.
“The police accompanied a huge group of fans all the way up Union Street from the railway station.
“The fans were pretty noisy and it was obvious the police were keeping a close eye on the situation.
“Eventually as they got nearer the Trades House Bar area the police decided to close the road off.
“It was impossible to drive down the street. I had to drive round a couple of times before I could get parked.
“The police then gathered outside the pub.
“It was pretty impossible to tell what was going on but there was definitely a situation involving the football fans and the police.
“It seemed that the police were just keeping an eye on the fans.
“I think just because there were so many of them and they were walking right up the middle of the street.”
Another eyewitness said: “I was out at the Tesco on Nethergate and Hibs fanwere just arriving for the game. They were all very boisterous.”
The Trades House bar management declined to comment.