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      Benjamin Mendy claims he asked ‘rape victims’ directly if they wanted to have sex ‘to avoid dates or conversation’

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      BENJAMIN Mendy claimed he asked his alleged rape victims if they wanted to have sex to avoid dates or conversation, a court heard. The Manchester City footballer, 28, was asked about his attitude towards sex at the time the offences are said to have taken place.
      Benjamin Mendy was asked about his attitude to women todayCredit: Andy Kelvin / Kelvinmedia
      Mendy said: ‘I was trying to be more direct’Credit: Andy Kelvin / Kelvinmedia
      Mendy said: “I was trying to be more direct to avoid conversation or go on dates.
      “That’s why I was quick and direct if they wanted to have sex, to avoid all that.”
      Timothy Kray KC, prosecuting, during a second day of cross-examination at Chester Crown Court, put it to the Premier League player that he does not see women as individual people and thinks normal rules do not apply to him so he gets it “terribly wrong” in believing they are consenting to sex.
      Mendy admitted he regrets his partying lifestyle and told jurors he is “crazy” and that his life was like being on a “fast train” that kept “going and going” until he was arrested and had time to think in jail.
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      The 28-year-old French international is accused of being a “predator” who turned the pursuit of women for sex into a game, regularly going clubbing in Manchester before holding “after-parties” where young women were invited back to a city centre apartment or his Cheshire mansion and sexually assaulted.
      He denies rape and sexual assaults on six women and told the jury any sexual contact was always consensual.
      One rape complainant has claimed Mendy told her having sex with him was a “privilege” and he had had sex with 10,000 women.
      Mr Kray asked Mendy: “You didn’t really see them as people, just things to be used for sex.
      Most read in The Sun
      “That’s how you did see them and how you would get it terribly wrong about whether they were consenting or not?”
      Mendy replied: “No.”
      The jury heard that, during the pandemic, the flat Mendy rented in Manchester and his home, The Spinney, in Mottram St Andrew, Cheshire, were used for lockdown-busting parties, to prey on young women.
      Mr Kray continued: “Did you think the rules did not apply to you? You had parties because you had this lust for sex?”
      Mendy said: “No. At the time I was just partying. I was not thinking that well.”
      Mr Kray said: “You were a danger to women, weren’t you? Because you did not see any consequences of breaking really important rules?”
      Mendy said: “No, never. Having a social life, I did lots of things.”
      The jurors were shown a CCTV clip of Mendy in a nightclub, dancing with women and holding his crotch.
      Mr Kray said: “That’s what you thought about at the time – what’s in your pants – and you had sex with them no matter what they thought.”
      Mendy denies seven counts of rape, one count of attempted rape and one count of sexual assault against six young women.
      Read More on The Sun
      His co-accused, Louis Saha Matturie, 41, of Eccles, Salford, denies six counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault relating to seven young women.
      The trial continues. More

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      I went undercover in nastiest football firm and fought fans if they broke golden rule – but there was a gutting twist

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      IN the run up to the 1990 World Cup all eyes were on the England team – not because of the players, but the thugs that followed them.The Italia ‘90 tournament ended a decade that saw football violence in the UK reach epic heights with warring fan groups – known as firms – leaving English supporters with a tarnished reputation that was feared around the world.
      Italia ’90 saw running battles involving English fansCredit: Alamy
      James Bannon blagged his way into the Millwall firmCredit: Channel 4
      As an undercover cop who infiltrated the London firm the Millwall Bushwackers in a doomed reconnaissance mission ahead of the tournament, James Bannon was in the thick of the action.
      Now the former Met officer – who appears in the Channel 4 documentary Italia ‘90: Saving English Football – tells The Sun how he gained the trust of Millwall hooligans and found himself in the midst of terrifying violence.
      “There were clubs that had reputations and you knew you were going to go there and meet opposing supporters that would want to have a fight,” he says.
      “But if I was going to be any good at what I did, I wasn’t going to be in the family enclosure. So yes, I got involved in the violence.
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      “I never incited or started a fight, but I was there to gather evidence against nasty, horrible people who brought violence to football, to take them off the streets and make stadiums safer places for people to go and watch.
      “It’s a fine line and undercover policing is not an exact science.
      “You are thinking on your feet every second because you have to try and stay within the law, while being convincing at what you are.
      “I would never run at somebody and hit them. But if somebody was coming at me who wanted to hit me then, trust me, I’m going to hit them first.”
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      James was just 21 when he was asked to blag his way onto the terraces in 1987.
      Presenting himself as Wandsworth painter and decorator Jim Ford, he started his mission by becoming a regular at a pub in the Old Kent Road, South London, which was favoured by Millwall fans.
      “We went there for lunchtimes all summer, when there was no football on,” he says.
      “We got to know the bar staff and the locals so when the football season started in late August, nobody gave us a second look and that gave us credibility.
      “The landlord of the pub was one of Millwall’s top boys so we also got to know him, and it moved on from there.”
      Genned up on his Millwall history, so he could pass as a fan, James says he was helped by the fact that the club was doing well and many new faces were turning up at the games.
      “We had to gain people’s trust and I was fortunate because I was only 21,” he says.
      “I played that to my advantage, telling them I hadn’t been when I was younger, and I was now going with my ‘brother in law’, who was actually the officer I was working with. No one suspected someone so young and fresh-faced of being a copper.”
      The undercover job was a reconnaissance mission ahead of the World CupCredit: Getty
      James was just 21 when he took on the missionCredit: Channel 4
      The former cop appears in the Channel 4 documentaryCredit: Channel 4
      Highbury brawl
      James faced violent mobs on many occasions – and also came close to arrest himself during a legendary clash between Millwall and Arsenal fans after an FA cup match, in January 1988.
      He was among Millwall fans in the North Bank stand at Highbury – traditionally reserved for Arsenal – who started a mass brawl which ended in 41 supporters being arrested,
      “That was the most memorable,” he says. “We met up with the landlord of the pub and ended up in the middle of the Arsenal crowd with 15 of Millwall’s top hooligans, me and my sergeant.
      “I went from the middle of North Bank, being punched and kicked en route, and punching and kicking back, on to the sanctuary of the pitch, where I was then arrested.
      “But the copper was what we used to call a ‘Cake-eater’ – an officer that drove a desk in the week and did football on Saturdays for overtime – who was probably more nervous and scared than I was.
      “Instead of taking me down the tunnel, which is where you usually go if you get nicked, he led me the wrong way, towards 10,000 Millwall.
      “As we walked I got buoyed by 10,000 Millwall fans singing, screaming and pointing at me and he got more nervous, and weakened his grip.
      “I managed to break free and dive in the crowd – so that upped my credibility with the firm.”
      The FA cup match in 1988 ended in carnageCredit: PA
      Millwall started trouble in Arsenal’s standCredit: PA
      Ambush
      On another occasion, James travelled to an away game in Leeds on the train – and was ambushed by rival fans on the return journey.
      He says: “There was a massive fight. I was scared for my life. It was my first away match and it was a baptism of fire.
      “I got hit, punched and kicked a few times but luckily, never sustained any serious injuries.
      “We learned two things from that day – Leeds are pretty tasty and never travel on the football special.
      “After that we drove to away matches.”
      The Channel 4 documentary looks at the run up to Italia ‘90, and how Italian and UK authorities attempted to control the threat posed by English hooligans by managing ticket sales, moving the opening match to Sardinia, drafting in armed police and even banning alcohol sales on match days.
      Through interviews with police, footballers and former firm members, it examines the “subculture” of hooliganism, with disenfranchised young men finding a place to belong.
      Riaz Khan, from the Leicester Baby Squad, says he was involved in fights before and after matches and adds: “You were buzzing for the rest of the week, until the following Saturday. It was great.
      “I’d never had this sense of belonging to anything cos I was an Asian kid in a white school. I saw the football hooligans had their own sense of identity, it wasn’t about colour.”
      Gary ‘Boatsy’ Clarke, who belonged to Notts Forest Executive Crew, says the hooligans were proud of their international reputation.
      “England was the number one firm,” he says.
      “I was down as one of England’s main hooligans. We were looked upon as the devil – especially the firm that went to Italia ‘90.”
      Operation aborted
      Sadly for James, the Met Police pulled the plug on his undercover operation in 1989, a year before the tournament, after trials against West Ham and Chelsea fans collapsed when scientists cast doubt on evidence gathered by undercover officers.
      “They employed people to do some of this work who weren’t very good and some of the evidence had been made up,” he claims.
      “A decision was taken by senior politicians that they couldn’t stomach another trial and lose face so all of the operations were disbanded overnight.
      “It meant that two and a half years of my life were a complete and utter waste of f***ing time.
      “We went from being doing a pretty elite job, which required huge sacrifices, both emotionally and personally, to ‘Thanks very much. Now go back to Orpington and drive a panda car.’”
      Disillusioned, James left the force and ended up writing a book, Running With The Firm, and the 1995 film I.D. about his experiences.
      He has since been an actor, run a successful property company and a short-lived commercial airline, as well as starring in a one man stand up show.
      Read More on The Sun
      Although he is frustrated his undercover operation resulted in no arrests, he says he’s not sure his team would have much impact on Italia ‘90, where British fans were involved in running battles in the street and riots after England’s three matches in Cagliari.
      “I don’t think we’d have made a huge difference,” says James. “All we’d have been able to do was give them a heads up a little bit quicker and let the authorities know who was there and likely to cause trouble, but we were never given the opportunity to justify what we were doing.”
      Italia ‘90: Saving English Football continues tonight at 9pm on Channel 4.
      A bloodied England supporter in 1990Credit: Daily Mirror More

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      Cocaine use at football matches leaves League One side’s stadium toilets like a ‘launderette’ full of powder, MPs told

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      COCAINE use at football is leaving stadium toilets like a “launderette” full of powder, MPs were told today.The DCMS committee watched what chairman and Tory MP Julian Knight said were “absolutely shocking” scenes of violence at games at all levels over the past six months.
      Shocking ‘scenes of violence’ in football grounds have been describedCredit: Getty
      And police and stewarding chiefs reinforced the message that the cocktail of drink and drugs was evoking memories of the dark days of the past.
      Peter Houghton, head of operations for the Football Safety Officers Association said: “It’s coming home from all aspects of sport that there has been an increase in cocaine use.
      “A friend of mine who works at Cambridge United said that when he checked the toilets after a match it looked like a launderette – there was so much powder there.
      “Violence at football has always been synonymous with alcohol but it is becoming abundantly clear it’s not just a football issue and affecting different sports.
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      “Now you are not just pointing the finger at alcohol users but are also able to point the finger at drug users.
      “It is clear that one or two of those people in the video have been using drugs and are not drunk.”
      That message was echoed by England and Wales’ top football cop, Cheshire Chief Constable Mark Roberts, who added: “It is not just the UK – we are seeing considerable increase in disorder across Europe after the lifting of pandemic restrictions.
      “We are not anywhere near where we were in the 80s and we need to keep context on things. This is worrying but we are not back as bad as it was.
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      “Cocaine is certainly a contributing factor to violence in the night-time economy and football. Football is a reflection of wider society.
      “There is clearly an element of organised gangs who set out and wish to engage in violence. It is an unwelcome re-emergence.
      “The concern is that we have younger people involved in this. The concern is that if younger people become involved in it then it is a problem for the next 30 years until we take some remedial action.”
      Ch Con Roberts also pointed out that police forces were able to recoup only £7m of the £47m cost of officers attending matches last season.
      He added: “It’s unfair we only get £7m back when £7m couldn’t buy you a second division full back.”
      Drink and drugs have fuelled the an increase in violence at gamesCredit: Rex More

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      Benjamin Mendy admits telling ‘rape victim’ he’d ‘kidnap’ her before ‘confronting her in shower’

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      BENJAMIN Mendy told his rape trial today he whispered to an alleged victim “I’m going to kidnap you” as she danced with her boyfriend in a club.The Manchester City star also said “we can have what we wanted” – meaning sex – after he discovered her showering at his home.
      Benjamin Mendy’s evidence is continuingCredit: Andy Kelvin / Kelvinmedia
      Mendy, 28, told jurors he met the complainant, named Woman One in court, while recovering from an injury in Barcelona in 2017.
      Around a year later, she joined him on a night out in Manchester where the footballer claims they “flirted” and “danced together”.
      He claimed they were “both smiling” when he whispered “I am going to kidnap you” her as she danced with her boyfriend, who was one of Mendy’s pals.
      The group all headed back to his mansion where Woman One claims he grabbed her and attempted to rape her on a bed.
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      But the footballer said today she flirted with him and they began touching each other after he saw her coming from the shower looking “sexy”.
      He told Chester Crown Court the woman then turned him down for sex as she had a boyfriend.
      Mendy told her boyfriend was “fine with that” – causing her to become “upset”.
      He said: “I realise it is disrespectful and bad, I asked him if it was OK if I tried to have sex with her. He told me yes.”
      Most read in The Sun
      The left-back said he later arranged for his driver to take her to the train station.
      He was also asked about a second alleged victim, woman Two, who claims he raped her three times at his home.
      Mendy told the court they did not have sex but he was left feeling “confused and shocked” when she texted his co-accused Louis Saha Matturie about what she thought happened.
      His second day of evidence comes after Mendy yesterday told it was “honestly, so easy” for him to meet up with women and have sex “because of the status”.
      The French international said the attention became “10 times more” when he began playing for Man City and admitted he is “no Brad Pitt.
      He also told jurors he would often sleep with different women on the same night, admitting: “For me it was normal, I realised just now it sounds bad.”
      Mendy has been described as a “predator” who “turned the pursuit of women for sex into a game”.
      He is accused of seven counts of rape, one count of attempted rape and one count of sexual assault against six young women.
      The star allegedly locked women in “panic rooms” at his isolated mansion in Cheshire while hosting parties.
      Some of his alleged victims claim their phones were taken away from them on arrival, which the prosecution say left them unable to call for help.
      Mendy is on trial with co-defendant Matturie, 41, who was an alleged “fixer” in charge of finding women for sex.
      He denies six counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault relating to seven young women.
      Read More on The Sun
      Both men say if any sex did take place with women or girls it was consensual.
      The trial continues.
      Mendy is accused of raping women at his mansionCredit: Andy Kelvin / Kelvinmedia
      The footballer denies the chargesCredit: AP:Associated Press More

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      Former Premier League star turned cop is unrecognisable in new job – and is captain of Britain’s police football team

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      A FORMER Premier League player has swapped the football pitch for the police squad.And he looks completely unrecognisable as an officer of the law – five years on from hanging up his boots.
      Wright, right, spent five years playing for Leicester in the early 2000sCredit: PA:Press Association
      He is now serving as a Leicestershire police officerCredit: SWNS
      Wright driving a police vehicle while on dutyCredit: Home Office YouTube
      Tommy Wright, 47, played as a striker for Leicester between 2001 and 2006 – including one season in the Premier League.
      And he also featured for a host of other clubs including Barnsley, Darlington and Aberdeen.
      Wright, who also received caps for England’s U19 and U20 sides, then went on to manage Darlington between 2017 and 2019.
      But now he has begun a completely new career as a Leicestershire police officer – qualifying through the academy in 2020.
      READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS
      And pictures show the ex-attacker looking very different in his police uniform.
      BUT he is still playing football at an amateur level and recently became captain of Britain’s national police team.

      Speaking about being an ex-player and now a policeman, Wright told the Mirror: “Some people have obviously recognised that I played for Leicester. I’ve had it in custody as well, which was so funny.
      “The custody sergeant had a Leicester City face mask on and straight away made a beeline to me as I was reading out the charges.
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      “And then the suspect’s appropriate adult had a Nottingham Forest face covering on, so he said, ‘I’ll tell him about your goal against us’.
      “We had a bit of banter when it was appropriate, which I think can help tense situations like that.
      “You see the initial look on their face when they notice and have a quick joke before getting back to the matter.”
      And Wright believes his football career is a big help to his work with Leicestershire Police.
      Read More on The Sun
      He added: “It’s nice and I feel it does make the job easier as people are more willing to engage.
      “I’m happy to talk football as I will always love it.”
      Wright has played for the national police football teamCredit: SWNS More

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      Former Premier League star arrested for ‘drink driving’ after ‘ploughing Land Rover into front of village shop’

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      A FORMER Premier League footballer has been arrested for drink-driving after ploughing his car through the front of a shop, it was reported.Pictures from the scene show the front of the Land Rover wedged into the front of the County Durham shop.
      The Land Rover lodged inside the shop in County DurhamCredit: NNP
      The occupants of the flat above the shop had to be evacuatedCredit: North News & Pictures Ltd nort
      The 37-year-old has been bailed by Cleveland Police pending further enquiries, the Daily Mail reports.
      The shop suffered substantial damage and the occupants of the flat above had to be evacuated.
      The store remained closed over the weekend and the fire brigade were called out following the crash at 9.30pm on Friday.
      It comes after a separate incident earlier this year when Burnley Midfielder Dale Stephens was banned from the roads after he was caught behind wheel at almost twice the legal limit. 
      READ MORE ON FOOTBALL
      The 32-year-old was pulled over in his £40k Range Rover Sport after going for dinner and ‘having a few beers’.
      The £15,000-a-week player was stopped in Cheshire’s poshest village by police during a routine check as cops investigated a string of luxury car thefts. 
      Officers are understood to have first let Stephens go but then noticed a smell of alcohol. 
      A roadside breath test showed the Premier League star was almost twice the drink drive limit, Stockport Magistrates heard.  More

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      Inside brutal alliance policing Qatar World Cup from French tear gas cops to Turkish special forces ready to batter fans

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      TEAMS of special forces from around the world will descend upon the Qatar World Cup in a bid to crack down on football hooligans. Qatar has pulled in extra police from every corner of the globe to help at the sporting event with the tiny Gulf nation expecting an unprecedented influx of 1.2million visitors.
      Some of the hardest police units including Turkey’s special operations unit, known as the Polis-Özel-Harekat, will be sent to QatarCredit: Getty
      French cops struggled to control violent clashes between fans at the Euros in 2016Credit: Reuters
      Troops from Pakistan’s army will also be deployed to bolster numbers for the World CupCredit: Twitter
      Officers from the US, Britain, Turkey, South Korea, France, Italy and Pakistan will make up a patchwork police force drafted in to keep order at the month-long football extravaganza.
      The extra cops will provide security at the eight stadiums in Doha and hotels where the 32 national football squads are staying as part of “Operation World Cup Shield”.
      Some of the hardest police units including Turkey’s special operations unit, known as the Polis-Özel-Harekat, and French riot cops behind the tear-gassing of Liverpool fans, will be beefing up security.
      The team of terrifying Turkish cops are mostly used to fight terrorism in their home country but has previously been criticised for human rights violations – particularly against those in Kurdish areas.
      Read more on the World Cup
      Armed with rifles, handguns and with its own attack helicopter and numerous armoured vehicles the POH is armed to the teeth.
      The squad also has its own fierce female unit – one of a handful of security forces in the world to do so.
      Along with 3,000 riot police, Turkey has offered its own warship to bolster security at the World Cup for six months.
      The TCG Burgazad, along with 250 troops, has already been deployed to Doha in the last month.
      Most read in Football
      According to a report by Nordic Monitor, an NGO that detects terrorist activity, the special forces unit will not be held responsible for its action or any damages in the Gulf state.
      During a debate over the security protocol, opposition lawmakers criticised the use of Turkish cops as ‘mercenaries’.
      French officers specialised in anti-drone policing will also make up the bulk of their own 191-strong force.
      Bomb-disposal experts, sniffer dogs, an anti-terror unit and cops specialised in tackling football hooliganism will all be deployed.
      The French riot cops came under scrutiny just months ago after shocking footage showed Liverpool fans being tear-gassed outside the Stade De France in Paris at the Champions League Final.
      Kids as young as nine, pregnant women and disabled people were among those pepper-sprayed at the match against Real Madrid.
      Crowds grew restless after paying fans were delayed from entering the stadium in time for the game.
      Liverpool legends Jamie Carragher and Robbie Fowler blasted the French government at the time as “liars” who refused to accept any responsibility for the chaos.
      Boris Johnson, who was PM at the time, said the violent scenes were “deeply upsetting and disturbing”.
      Popular French football magazine So Foot even mocked riot cops and asked: “Did anyone think to show the Qataris footage of the Champions League final?”
      The deployment of French forces to the World Cup in Qatar falls under a security partnership signed last year and passed through French parliament in August after a fierce debate.
      Opposition lawmakers flagged the ethical implications of sending French officers to protect the country’s “air-conditioned cemeteries” – referring to the tournament’s brand-new facilities.  
      And they also raised concerns about the treatment of female cops in Qatar – a country known for its strict Islamic code and hard-line attitude towards women.
      France’s interior ministry confirmed to France 24 that their force in Qatar would include female officers.
      The ministry said the decision to deploy French security personnel followed a “request by Qatari authorities” and would help ensure the security of fans – including French nationals.
      During the Euros in 2016, French riot cops struggled to handle violent clashes between Russian Ultras and England fans in Marseille.
      Horror footage showed Russian fans brutally attacking English crowds with chairs and metal bars before French police sprayed rioters with tear-gas and water cannons.
      Brits Andrew Bache, 51, and Stewart Gray, 47, were both left in a coma after being attacked by Russian thugs.
      PATCHWORK POLICE FORCE
      Turkey is set to send 100 special operations police, 50 bomb specialists and 80 sniffer dogs and riot dogs to monitor any terrorist activity.
      It will also be taking charge of the chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defence operations at the tournament.
      The country’s cops are being taught English and given guidance about what to expect when they arrive in Qatar, a Turkish source told Reuters.
      They said: “During the tournament, Turkish police will only take orders from their Turkish superiors who are serving temporarily in Qatar.”
      “The Qatari side will not be able to give direct orders to the Turkish police.
      “All expenses of the personnel deployed… will be covered by the state of Qatar.”
      Fans clashing with French cops in Marseille in riots that saw two Brits seriously injuredCredit: Reuters
      The police unit is trained to carry out counter-terrorism operations in Turkey and is armed to the teethCredit: Getty
      French police watching over Liverpool fans during the Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid in MayCredit: AP
      Nearly 800 Qataris have also been trained by Turkey on issues ranging from “sports safety” to “intervention in social events”.
      Meanwhile, Pakistan’s cabinet approved a draft agreement last month to allow the government to offer troops for the tournament – although numbers have not been confirmed.
      Morocco has also backed sending officers to Qatar, with local media reporting that several thousand could be deployed.
      And South Korea has sent military police officers with experience in counter-terror and maintaining public order to help train Qatari cops.
      According to Yonhap, the contingent is made up of “veteran soldiers with experience in overseas military units, anti-terror special task force, arrests of violent military criminals, presidential office guards, and various national events guards”.
      Spain had been considering sending 115 officers – but ultimately refused.
      COUNTER-TERROR OPERATIONS
      As the first Middle East country to host a World Cup – and the smallest nation to do so – Qatar has no previous experience of hosting events on such a scale.
      Members of Qatar’s police forces already met with cops in New York in January to exchange tips for security during major events.
      And in July, the US signed agreements with Qatar to “identify air passengers linked to terrorism, trafficking, detecting watchlisted travellers, and monitoring potential security risks at Hamad International Airport”.
      The UK, whose forces regularly carry out drills with their Qatari counterparts, has also said it will be sending units from the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force to support counterterrorism efforts. 
      A unit of Brit cops set to be deployed will act as a buffer between fans and potentially over-zealous local forces to “de-escalate” issues at the tournament.
      Fifteen special UK police “engagement officers” have been roped in to “calm things down if needed”.
      Cheshire Chief Constable Mark Roberts, the UK’s top football cop, said: “Our officers will be there to try to engage and calm things down if needed.
      “We’re not morality police and we are not going to tell people not to protest.
      “That’s a local enforcement issue. We just want to look after the supporters.
      “The last thing we want is someone inadvertently causing offence, so if we see there’s something that may cause a problem we can go and try to de-escalate the situation.”
      The last thing we want is someone inadvertently causing offence, so if we see there’s something that may cause a problem we can go and try to de-escalate the situationCheshire Chief Constable Mark Roberts
      Mr Roberts said the “potential for a misunderstanding is probably greater” in Qatar.
      “We know that England fans have often gone to a square and drunk but that’s not really an option because you don’t have the off-sales in Qatar in the same way.
      “If you have 2,000 fans in one place, even in the UK, you’d get the police come in and sometimes when England have played abroad our fans have played up to it a bit.
      “We just want to avoid that.”
      Hundreds of Qatari nationals have also been called up to man security checkpoints at the stadiums.
      The conscripts will manage security queues, and check fans for drugs or weapons concealed in ponytails, jacket linings or even false bellies, according to training materials seen by Reuters.
      In early September the civilians were ordered to report for pre-dawn duty at the national service camp north of the Qatari capital Doha.
      A source said civilians were told it was their “patriotic duty” to help out with the World Cup.
      “Most people are there because they have to be – they don’t want to get in trouble,” the source said.
      The current group of civilians are on four months paid leave from their jobs at key Qatari institutions such as state-owned QatarEnergy and the foreign ministry, the source said.
      Conscripts report to the national service camp five days a week, where they attend training sessions – and are taught to approach fans with “positive body language, focus and a smile”.
      Read More on The Sun
      Training also includes hour-long marching drills on the parade ground.
      A Qatari government official said: “Recruits will provide additional support during the tournament as part of the regular program, just as they do every year at major public events, such as the National Day celebration.”
      French riots cops have also been out in forced during the yellow vest protestsCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Police spray tear gas at Liverpool fans outside the Stade de FranceCredit: Getty
      Turkey’s TCG Burgazad was deployed to Doha last month to join the massive security operationCredit: Twitter More

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      Man City condemn alleged racist abuse towards wonderkid Rico Lewis as two Seville fans arrested and police investigating

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      TWO Seville fans were arrested for allegedly racially abusing City starlet Rico Lewis as he was subbed at the Etihad on Wednesday night. The champions released a statement saying they “strongly condemn” such behaviour and vowing to assist Greater Manchester Police and the Spanish club in their enquiries.
      Rico Lewis scored a scintillating goal on his full debutCredit: Alamy
      But the 17-year-old was also allegedly the victim of racist abuse from two Sevilla fansCredit: Getty
      City said: “We will not tolerate discrimination of any kind at our stadium and will be offering our full support to Rico following these vile incidents.”
      Lewis – who marked his full debut with a super goal – received a standing ovation from home supporters when he was replaced by Joao Cancelo on 85 minutes.
      Pep Guardiola was full of praise for the teenager, saying: “We don’t give present… he had to earn it.
      “We have seen him since day one in pre-season and I said: this guy has something special.”
      READ MORE ON MAN CITY
      And after the game Lewis took his Instagram to say: “Words can’t describe the feeling.
      “First start and goal for this amazing club, I won’t forget this day for the rest of my life, can’t thank the fans enough, amazing as usual.”
      Meanwhile, Sevilla said they would be taking their own action against the accused.
      They said: “Sevilla FC strongly condemn the behaviour of two fans in the away section of Manchester City’s stadium, who were identified and accused of allegedly behaving in a racist manner towards Manchester City player Rico Lewis.
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      “Sevilla FC are awaiting official confirmation of these facts, of which they have been made aware by Manchester City, and if these are proven, the two fans will be removed from the list of members.”
      SunSport has contacted Greater Manchester Police for a statement. More