UP to 50 British police officers were injured with six needing hospital treatment after trouble erupted following a English first division football match, Scotland Yard said on Friday.
The unrest flared after London club Millwall’s Division One play-off defeat against Birmingham City.
Police said several hundred disgruntled Millwall fans left the stadium with the aim of assaulting the Birmingham supporters who had travelled to south London for the game.
Police said they threw missiles, including bricks, paving
stones, flares and fireworks. Most of the Birmingham supporters had travelled by coach and were delayed for more than an hour before they could leave the stadium as a result of the disorder.
The 21 coaches containing Birmingham supporters were then escorted from the area and around 50 police officers dressed in riot gear escorted a group of about 200 Birmingham City supporters into London Bridge tube station.
During the violence outside the ground, one officer was injured when he was kicked by a police horse. And another injured police officer had to be rushed through London Bridge station by two paramedics.
The representative said out of 36 mounted police officers 24 were injured. Three police horses were also injured, two seriously. None of those requiring hospital treatment were in a life threatening condition, said the representative.
Police also said that two cars were set alight outside the ground and the fire brigade was initially unable to reach the fires because of the disorder in the road. Officers eventually cleared the scene and the fires were put out.
The representative said at least seven people were arrested, four during the game and three for disorder after the game. ? Sapa-AFP