German police to help patrol airport

Jun 14 2006 By Mark Cowan, Birmingham Mail

GERMAN police officers are on patrol with British bobbies at Birmingham International Airport as part of World Cup policing plans.

Chief Insp Toralf Decker and Chief Insp Thomas Kolb are stationed in the UK as part of an arrangement to stop suspected soccer thugs from travelling.

The officers will be speaking to passengers as they leave Birmingham Airport to fly to Germany for the World Cup games.

They will continue to visit other airports across the country as long as England remain in the tournament.

Birmingham International is considered a key airport for fans heading to Germany and dozens of officers are on patrol looking for known hooligans.

Chief Insp Steve Palmer, head of Operation Support at West Midlands Police, said: "We are working closely with German colleagues.

"West Midlands Police football spotters will be in Germany during the World Cup and German police are in the UK."

He added: "Our World Cup operation is running smoothly and we are intent on preventing known trouble makers from attending the tournament or tarnishing the reputation of the majority of law-abiding English supporters."

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