THUG-BUSTERS; 12 RUC vehicles to tackle Euro 2000 rioters.
ENGLISH football thugs could find themselves face to face with the might of the RUC in Europe next week.Soccer hooligans who get out of control will be tackled by Euro cops in RUC armoured Land Rovers.
The force has loaned 12 vehicles, two fitted with surveillance cameras, to Belgian and Dutch police to boost their anti-hooligan arsenal for the Euro 2000 football championship.
Belgian police officers were in Northern Ireland last week to test drive the Land Rovers and they were delivered to Belgium this week. The battleship-grey vehicles have been resprayed white.
Last summer the Belgian Gendarmes loaned a water cannon to the RUC before the Drumcree dispute.
Four RUC officers have travelled to Belgium with the police vehicles as part of the UK police presence for the games.
The match police fear most is the England-Germany clash on June 18.
Police from the two host nations have been rehearsing worst scene scenarios for months, including clashes with rioting mobs.
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| Author: | Carton, Donna |
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| Publication: | The Mirror (London, England) |
| Date: | Jun 3, 2000 |
| Words: | 162 |
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