STOP BOOZING AT THE BORDER
Cops will search buses and the trains north may be dry
England fans face arrest if they’re caught boozing as they cross the border for next month’s crunch World Cup qualifier at Hampden.
Alcohol is allowed on supporters’ buses in England.
But Scots law says no drink can be consumed on a coach taking fans to any sporting event.
Police Scotland warned they would be checking to make sure nobody flouts the ban on match day on June 10.
That means England fans heading for the game will have to stop drinking when they enter Scotland.
And railway operators are considering dry trains to stop drunk fans bringing mayhem to Glasgow for the sold-out match.
A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: “In Scotland, it is an offence to be in possession of alcohol or drunk on a bus taking you to a sporting event.
“The driver or person hiring the vehicle also commits an offence.
“Police will be carrying out thorough checks on buses and minibuses travelling to the Scotland-England game to ensure this legislation is adhered to. “Public safety is paramount and a robust policing plan will be in place.”
A spokesman for the National Police Chiefs’ Council, who cover forces in England, added: “While drinking on supporters’ buses in England is not illegal, once they cross the Border it would be for Police Scotland to enforce that law.”
British Transport Police, who are in charge of policing the rail network, said: “There are no restrictions regarding trains which state you must not consume alcohol once you cross into Scotland.
“Decisions regarding dry trains have not been made yet by the operating companies. Discussions are still under way ahead of the match.”m
ThThe force said the game would be“the largest eve event we will policepol in Scotland thisthi year”. They added:ad “Officers willwi be on hand at stations,st as well as on services to and from GlasgowG Central station.”s
A spokesman for Virgin Trains said: “We’re working closely with British Transport Police to make sure everyone has a safe and enjoyable journey and would ask customers to be considerate to other people when travelling.”
A ScotRail spokesman added: “As with most large sporting events, alcohol bans will be in place.”
They refused to go into detail on the bans, saying further information would be made available in the coming weeks.
A source with knowledge of the security operation added: “A lot of preparation has gone into this match.
“There will be English stewards brought to Hampden by the FA. There will also be a sophisticated operation to identify known hooligans and keep them under surveillance.”
We told last week how police faced a major headache because normal powers to stop known troublemakers travelling – taking their passports – would not be enough to keep them away from Hampden.
Pol ice chiefs are working on a range of alternative measures to try to disrupt hooligans’ travel plans or identify them if they reach Glasgow.
Proposals include ordering banned fans to register at police stations miles from the city at the time of the match.
Hi-tech measures include a police surveillance unit which uses facial recognition techniques.
England have been allocated 4761 tickets for the game at the national stadium, which has a capacity of 52,000.
There were 230 arrests amid violent scenes across Glasgow when the two countries last played a competitive match at Hampden in 1999.
England beat Scotland 2- 0 in that clash, the first leg of a Euro 2000 play- off.
In 2014, police made 26 arrests during a friendly between the two nations at Celtic Park.
Home Office figures last November showed there were 2085 banning orders in place preventing thug fans from travelling abroad for matches. There were 124 orders against fans from Newcastle, which is only a three-hour drive from Glasgow.
This game will be the largest event that we police in Scotland this year