West
Ham have ramped up their security measures for the EFL Cup derby against
Chelsea at the London Stadium on Wednesday.
Fans will face body searches at the turnstiles, tightened alcohol
restrictions, post-match segregation and a "robust policing plan" as part of
measures aimed to minimise crowd trouble between the bitter rivals.
Chelsea have been allocated just under 5,200 tickets for the fourth-round
tie on their first visit to the Hammers' new home - a fixture considered
high-risk by the Metropolitan police.
There has already been violence involving West Ham supporters outside their
new stadium at Stratford following the recent Premier League games against
Watford and Middlesbrough.
Nine arrests have been made outside the ground since the beginning of the
season, while West Ham have issued 23 banning orders for offences ranging
from drinking in view of the pitch to breaking the line of segregation.
The Met say a "tactical solution" is now set for future games which will see
officers deployed inside the ground if needed, despite the lack of a
fully-operational Airwave radio system, which is used by the emergency
services and will not be in place until February 2017.
West Ham issued further information for supporters attending the cup tie on
their website, encouraging them to arrive early for "enhanced body
searching" at the turnstiles.
Ticket sales for home fans have been limited to supporters with a recorded
purchase history at West Ham, while no alcohol will be sold pre-match from
mobile bars outside the stadium. Those inside will be open as normal but
will serve drinks in plastic cups, and there will be no post-match sales.
Segregation will be in place outside the away turnstile along to ensure
Chelsea fans are directed via the south steps towards Pudding Mill Lane
Docklands Light Railway Station.
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