Aston Villa cop falls ill in Moscow

Feb 18 2009 by Mark Cowan, Birmingham Mail

responsible for match-day policing for Aston Villa’s home and away games and targeting known hooligans.

Villa will play CSKA Moscow at Villa Park tonight in the first of a two-legged clash in the last 32 of the competition.

The 49-year-old had travelled to Moscow at the end of last month with security officials from the club in order to liaise with Russian police on their operation and also speak with embassy officials ahead of next Thursday’s return fixture.

He was being driven to the airport on Tuesday January 27 when he was gripped with excruciating pain.

PC Hamilton, a popular figure among Villa staff and fans, particularly travelling supporters, was taken to intensive care. Villa security chief John Handley stayed at his bedside.

Surgeons diagnosed pancreatitis, a painful condition in which the pancreas, which supplies enzymes to help food digestion and insulin to regulate blood sugar levels, becomes inflamed.

It is treated as medical emergency with intravenous fluids and powerful medicine to control the pain. He was also diagnosed with peritonitis, another inflammatory condition.

Det Insp Thursfield added: “From conversations I’ve had with Scott, it started off as what he thought was indigestion and got much more serious within a few hours.

“He had to have emergency exploratory surgery so they could ascertain what they were dealing with.”

PC Hamilton was transferred to a private clinic in Berlin under West Midlands Police’s travel insurance scheme. His family have been at his bedside since.