Record number of arrests made in West Midlands during World Cup

A record number of arrests were made across the West Midlands in the 24 hours surrounding England’s semi-final match on Wednesday, according to police.

The force said 226 people were arrested and taken into custody during the period, the highest daily total recorded across June and July.

The force said it had seen an average of 188 arrests a day over the past six weeks, describing the figures as the highest since its records began.

Officers also reported a sharp rise in emergency calls after the match. The control room received 1,083 calls to 999 between 22:00 BST and 03.00 where police said they would normally see about 500 on a typical Wednesday.

In Solihull town centre bottles and glasses were thrown as hundreds gathered after the match finished.

A 65-year-old woman was assaulted, but not seriously injured, said the force.

A dispersal order was introduced, and six people, including a 16-year-old girl were arrested for a variety of offences including violent disorder, assaulting an emergency worker and drug possession.

Lyndsey Bailey-Smith, head of force contact, said there had been a a “significant effort” by staff working to ensure emergency incidents were dealt with quickly.

“We have seen a significant increase in calls during the World Cup and especially post England matches.

“This has put a strain on our service however, our officers and staff have kept an average of only three to four seconds to answer 999 calls which is only a second longer than our daily average of two seconds.”