FOUR arrests have been made following the football match between Oxford and the Royals – including a teenager.
Thames Valley Police had a section 35 and a section 60 AA orders in place around the Kassam Stadium ahead of Saturday’s return fixture, following a series of disturbances and arrests during the home game played at the Select Car Leasing Stadium in December.
Section 35 dispersal powers give officers and Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) the power to disperse individuals and groups of people causing harassment, alarm or distress from the locality.
A Section 60 AA order gives an officer the power to require any person to remove an item which the officer reasonably believes the person intends to wear to conceal their identity. This can also include seizing that item.
The orders were in place for Oxford, including its city centre, and Didcot.
In addition to this, a number of tactics such as the use of Football Spotters, Mounted Officers, Police Dogs and Drones were used.
As part of its operation, they arrested the following people:
A 34-year-old man from Wokingham has been arrested on suspicion of breach of section 50 and obstructing police. He remains in custody.
A 29-year-old man from Reading has been arrested on suspicion of a public order offence and possession of a class-A drug. He remains in custody.
A 19-year-old man from Newbury has been arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated harassment and throwing a missile at a spectator area. He remains in custody.
A 15-year-old boy from Caversham, Reading has been arrested on suspicion of possession of a flare at a sporting event.
Superintendent Adrian Hall, Thames Valley Police’s tactical Commander for the policing operation, said: “I’m pleased to say that following work with both football clubs, our partners and local communities we ensured a safe operation was conducted.
“I’d like to thank those that attended and enjoyed the match and positively engaged with our officers throughout the day.
“The behaviour exhibited by a minority of individuals was unacceptable and as a result, we took action to ensure they didn’t pose a further risk of anti-social behaviour and impact others.
“Twenty-nine people still remain on conditional bail following the reverse fixture on 12 December 2023 and the investigation is still ongoing. If you have any information you think could be relevant, please call us on 101, quoting reference number 43230557087.”
