Football fans warned about drugs after Grimbsy Town supporter detained at Notts County ground
An arrest was made in the lead up to Notts County’s fixture against Grimsby Town on Thursday (22 August) evening.
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
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.