Arrest made after cocaine seized from fan at football match

Football fans have been warned about taking drugs on matchdays after a suspect was detained inside a stadium.  

An arrest was made in the lead up to Notts County’s fixture against Grimsby Town on Thursday (22 August) evening.

Officers were conducting patrols around Meadow Lane when they were alerted to some suspicious activity inside the ground.

A Grimsby Town fan was detained by Notts County stewards after concerns were raised that they could be in possession of cocaine.

Police then arrived at the scene around 7.30pm and escorted the visiting supporter out of the ground before conducting a search.

When quantities of cocaine were subsequently discovered, the 37-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possessing Class A drugs.

The suspect has since been released on bail as inquiries continue, with conditions ordering him:

• not to attend matches at Grimsby Town’s Blundell Park
• not to attend any sporting events in Nottinghamshire
• not to attend Grimsby town centre in the hours before or after Grimsby Town play at home
• not to attend any town or city where Grimsby Town are playing in the hours before or after kick off

PC Mat Rose, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “This arrest provided a great example of us working in partnership with Notts County to take action after concerns were raised about potential drug activity.

“Thanks to the club stewards alerting us to these suspicions, we were able to act quickly and ultimately seize quantities of Class A drugs.

“Anyone thinking of taking drugs into grounds should know this will not be tolerated, and if they are found to be involved, they should expect to find themselves in a lot of trouble.

“We have a great relationship with each of the county’s professional football clubs and will continue to work with them to clamp down on those who seek to bring drugs into stadiums.”  

Thursday’s arrest came weeks after Nottinghamshire Police teamed up with the county’s three professional football clubs on an initiative to tackle drug use.

An awareness campaign was launched ahead of the new season to teach fans about the dangers and consequences of consuming cocaine and alcohol together at matches.

Mixing the two can cause a toxic psychoactive substance to form in the body, known as cocaethylene, which can increase violent and aggressive behaviour.

It can also increase the risk of heart attacks, strokes and seizures – points emphasised on posters distributed across the county’s main football grounds.

Information about the potential punishments for carrying drugs and for taking them into stadiums are also included in the campaign materials.  

Extra police patrols will be conducted outside of Notts County’s, Nottingham Forest’s and Mansfield Town’s stadiums on matchdays throughout this season as part of the campaign.

Football Intervention and Banning Order Officer Carl Gabbitas said: “This initiative is a great way for us to engage with the football community and start conversations about the dangers of using alcohol and cocaine together.

“Nottinghamshire Police will not hesitate to apply for football banning orders against those who bring Class A drugs into stadiums.

“It is simply not worth risking a lifetime or lengthy ban from attending football matches for consuming a substance that is really harmful to your personal health.

“We look forward to continuing our work with Nottingham Forest, Mansfield Town, and Notts County over the coming months to spread awareness about the risks associated with cocaethylene and hope that this operation will help to reduce the rate of offences linked to consuming alcohol and cocaine.”