London Stadium to improve security plans

West Ham have announced new stringent security measures, including relocating some supporters and increasing the use of segregation netting inside London Stadium, in a bid to avoid further crowd trouble.

In a letter released to Sky Sports  on Friday, West Ham have revealed a new robust plan to prevent any further violence inside their new home.

The plan includes:

▪ Creating more distance between opposing fans to prevent missile throwing. This will be achieved by widening the segregation line on both sides of the lower tier.

▪ Removing risk groups from the stadium permanently with our ‘zero tolerance’ banning policy as outlined above.

▪ Strengthening and widening the lines of segregation on the lower concourse walkway by creating higher barriers and a 10 metre wide sterile area. This is the area which became the pinch point at the Chelsea game, and despite the fact it wasn’t actually breached, we feel it is a necessary step to prevent any similar scenes at future matches.

▪ Ensuring home/away fan egress is physically segregated upon exiting the Stadium to prevent clashes on the podium. This was in place and proved effective after the match against Chelsea. This consists of a physical barrier either side of the away supporter turnstiles, and prevents supporter integration after the game.

▪ Inside the stadium we will also be employing the enhanced tactic of issuing a group of stewards with handheld video cameras. Stewards currently have cameras attached to their armour but we believe this investment will act as a clear and visible deterrent.