Chesterfield Police Update

Fairly late yesterday, we spoke to one of the football liaison officer’s for QPR. He informed us that his colleagues and himself had made enquiries after the complaints received from some QPR fans regarding their treatment on arrival at Chesterfield rail station.

Chesterfield Constabulary told him that they had received some information on the Friday which led them to expect some trouble from their own fans, and also from a number of QPR supporters. This led to their decision in applying for a section 60, which basically gives the police powers to stop and search people for weapons. When we questioned further the use of this particular section, the PC informed us that it is usually applied for crowd control but is sometimes applied to football fans in and around the vicinities of grounds, though only if the police have been led to believe that possible trouble could occur.

He confirmed that he himself did not go to Chesterfield because he did not believe that the game had been graded as a high risk category game. He also informed us that on police advice from our end on the day, to the Chesterfield Constabulary, informing them that they knew nothing about any proposed trouble from QPR fans (presumably after the stop and searches at the station), the Chesterfield police decided not to stop and search the coaches.

They were however (Chesterfield police) concerned about the safety of the away fans on their way out of Chesterfield which is why the coaches, and many others on foot who were making their way back to the station, were given a police escort.

Apparently there was some trouble in the town centre afterwards, but this involved the home supporters who fought amongst themselves and the police, causing some assaults and limited damage to the town.

Whilst QPR 1st are grateful to our local police liaison officers for their help, it still does not fully explain why innocent individuals, including women and youngsters, were handled in this way. We shall be contacting the Chesterfield police football office shortly and unless the QPR fans who are unhappy at the treatment they received accept their explanations, QPR 1st will contact both Clive Soley MP, whose constituency is Ealing Acton &Shepherds Bush, of which QPR FC is a part, and Paul Holmes MP for the constituency of Chesterfield.