Three
men have been arrested for alleged homophobic chanting at the Premier League
draw between Liverpool and Chelsea on Saturday at Anfield.
Merseyside Police confirmed a 23-year-old, 37-year-old and 49-year-old have
been arrested "on suspicion of homophobic intentional harassment alarm and
distress".
A statement read: "In three separate incidents, two arrests took place
outside the stadium on Anfield Road and one inside the sports ground.
"The 37-year-old has been bailed pending further enquiries, and the 23-year
and 49-year-old will attend a voluntary interview.
"We are also aware that 16 people were ejected by stewards from the stadium
for various offences during the Premier League match."
Superintendent Paul Sutcliffe, match commander for Saturday's game, which
ended 0-0, said: "Merseyside Police will not tolerate hate crime of any
form, and we will bring to justice anyone found responsible for committing
any offensive chanting.
"In this instance, if the three suspects are charged and found guilty for
the offence, then we will be seeking football banning orders on them."
He added: "It is vital that anyone who witnesses such an offence reports it
to stewards or the police immediately, so we can take the necessary action.
"As with all matches, we work very closely with both clubs to ensure the
safety of the public and the teams themselves."
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