The Metropolitan Police have been granted a Section 35 dispersal order ahead of Saturday's football match between Millwall and West Ham. The order allows officers to remove anyone deemed to be causing disorder.
Around 400 police officers, wearing riot gear but without shields, are set to be deployed onto the streets of east London. This is approximately four times the usual police presence at Championship games, which typically see 60 to 150 officers on duty.
The dispersal zone is extensive, covering an area from Tower Bridge in the west to past Greenwich Park in the east, a distance of nearly five miles. It also hugs the River Thames and extends south to Ladywell station.
The Met Police stated: “We want fans to enjoy the match safely and have worked with both clubs to help this happen.” The clubs last met in 2012, and fan unrest has been a common theme in past encounters, including a stabbing during a 2009 Carling Cup tie.
West Ham supporters have been advised by their club to use South Bermondsey station for travel to the game, with a walkway leading directly to the away turnstiles. The club stated that supporters using other local stations will be redirected.