FACEBOOK, Instagram and Twitter have finally handed over the details of racist trolls who abused England’s Euro 2020 stars.
Five people have been arrested after heroes Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka and Jadon Sancho were targeted following England’s heartbreaking defeat.
Social media giants had faced mounting pressure to give up the thugs posting abuse – after bosses were hauled before Boris Johnson for a dressing-down earlier this week.
Chief Constable Mark Roberts, the National Police Chiefs’ Council football policing lead, said the companies are now “working very closely” with the UK Football Policing Unit (UKFPU) to track down the vile trolls.
It comes as:
Mr Roberts said: “The racial abuse aimed at our own players following Sunday night’s game is utterly vile and has quite rightly shocked and appalled people across the country.
“Our England team have been true role models during the tournament, conducting themselves with professionalism and dignity.
“I’m disgusted there are individuals out there who think it’s acceptable to direct such abhorrent abuse at them, or at anybody else.
“The UKFPU investigation is well under way and work continues to identify those responsible.
“We are working very closely with social media platforms, who are providing data we need to progress inquiries.
“If we identify that you are behind this crime, we will track you down and you will face the serious consequences of your shameful actions.”
A 42-year-old man from Runcorn is the fifth person to have been questioned, Cheshire Police confirmed on Thursday.
The man was arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of displaying threatening, abusive or insulting written material. He has since been released under investigation pending further inquires.
Saka in a statement on Thursday: “To the social media platforms Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, I don’t want any child or adult to have to receive the hateful and hurtful messages that me, Marcus and Jadon have received this week.
“I knew instantly the kind of hate that I was about to receive and that is a sad reality that your powerful platforms are not doing enough to stop these messages.”
Meanwhile, school meals hero Rashford said: “I can take critique of my performance all day long, my penalty wasn’t good enough, it should have gone in.
“But I will never apologise for who I am and where I came from.”
The UKFPU said that, as of Tuesday, 897 football-related incidents and 264 arrests had been recorded across the country in the 24-hour period surrounding the final.
That took the number of football-related incidents during the tournament to 2,344, and arrests to 630.
Asked about measures to tackle the issue following a speech in Coventry, the Prime Minister acknowledged the Government had “got to go further” than simply extending the scope of football banning orders to include online abuse.
Banning orders exclude people from attending matches for between three and 10 years.
One comedian has seen a string of shows cancelled after tweeting: “I’m sorry that black guys are bad at penalties.”
And a Savills worker has been arrested racist abuse was sent from his Twitter account.
A post from Andrew Bone’s Twitter account branded the players the N-word and claimed the England stars had “ruined it for us” after the loss.
Bone’s family claimed to The Sun his account had been hacked.
Children’s football coach Nick Scott, 50, initially said he had nothing to do with a vile tweet sent to Rashford.
He later admitted he may have sent it while drunk – and told The Sun: “If I did, I want Marcus to know that I’m truly sorry and I apologise sincerely.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
