Sovereign Base Areas police officers have returned from a week‑long attachment with the Metropolitan Police’s Public Order and Football Policing Unit in London.
The officers accompanied Met specialists to Premier League and Champions League matches to study crowd management and policing methods.
Acting Superintendent Marcos Petrou said while the scale of matches in Cyprus differs from those in England, the principles remain the same. “We need to make sure everyone gets to and from the match safely and without any trouble,” he said.
Petrou noted that Cyprus continues to face hooliganism at some games and said the attachment created a direct link with London officers for advice. “If I have questions, I can just pick up the phone now and that is so important,” he said.
The visit also included discussions about Pafos FC’s upcoming Champions League match against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in January, which is expected to draw thousands of Cypriot fans.
Petrou said he was happy to connect Cyprus Police with UK counterparts to share intelligence ahead of the fixture.