Supporters raise thousands of pounds to repair damage caused by World Cup fans

People are uniting to help foot the bill for repairs after vandals wreaked havoc following England’s win over Sweden on Saturday.

A taxi driver had his car wrecked in Nottingham after fans jumped on it, smashing the windscreen, and a London Ambulance Service car was also damaged by people dancing on it.

But kind-hearted members of the public have stepped in to help make amends, with a JustGiving page for the taxi driver reportedly raising more than £,2000 while Millwall Supporters Club has already raised more than £9,000 for the London Ambulance Service.

The club’s JustGiving page said: “At the Millwall Supporters Club we think it is very important to help our local community, so we want to help to raise funds to help with the repair of an emergency response vehicle that was damaged after the England v Sweden game in the World Cup 2018 Quarter Final.”

It said if the repairs are covered by the insurance, all monies raised will be donated to the Local Ambulance Service whose vehicle has sustained this damage.

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Police have issued CCTV images of three men suspected of climbing onto the taxi in Nottingham’s Old Market Square on Saturday, smashing the windscreen and sunroof.

Inspector Phil Grimwade said: “After the game concluded, hundreds of people left the venues where they had watched it at the same time, blocking roads and causing difficulty for traffic and access around Old Market Square.

He said “The majority of people were well-behaved, which the force appreciates, but there were a small number of incidents, to which officers were there within minutes, including damage caused to a taxi.

“A 27-year-old man handed himself in and was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage. He has been released on conditional bail.”

Many police forces received more 999 calls on Saturday than they do on New Year’s Eve, with West Midlands Police experiencing its busiest ever 24-hour period.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) said 387 football-related incidents were recorded, mostly alcohol-related disorder.

Incidents over the weekend also included: a man jumping off the roof of a double decker bus and smashing through the roof of a bus shelter in Clapham; hundreds of people blocking a street in Leicestershire and letting off flares; people climbing on top of buses in Southampton and disruption in Bridlington, Hull and Cleethorpes as people climbed on bus shelters and vehicles.

Ahead of England’s semi-final match on Saturday, police warned fans not to “overstep the line”.

Chief Superintendent Graeme Openshaw, from Greater Manchester Police, said: “Fans have to strike a balance and we’d ask people not to overstep the line and be respectful of others around them.

“Unfortunately, we are aware that people have been climbing on emergency services vehicles and blocking buses – not only is this dangerous but this is also stopping people from doing an important job.”

Nottinghamshire Police warned that as well as an increased presence in the city on Wednesday, other potential tactics could include banning orders for fans who cause trouble.