Merseyside and Spanish police probe Barcelona incident involving Liverpool fan

Merseyside Police are working with their Spanish counterparts following an incident in Barcelona involving a Liverpool fan.

Videos uploaded to social media appeared to show Liverpool supporters in the city pushing individuals into a fountain at Placa Reial ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final first leg at Camp Nou.

An unrelated incident on Tuesday resulted in six men being arrested by local authorities on suspicion of public order offences.

Merseyside Police superintendent Paul White said: “We are liaising with Spanish Police, the British Embassy, UEFA, the Football Intelligence Unit in Merseyside and Liverpool Football Club, who are all working to keep fans safe and ensure an enjoyable experience in Barcelona.

“We want to reassure the public that we can potentially act on any criminal matters dealt with by Spanish Police by utilising football legislation in the UK.

“This type of behaviour is wholly unacceptable and I want to remind fans who are travelling with tickets to monitor official fan advice on the club’s official website and social media feeds for information to assist their visit. Given the vigilance of police and security around the stadium, we would encourage fans to arrive in plenty of time.

“I would also encourage people to look after their own personal safety by taking some simple precautions – look after your money and belongings, stay together in groups, drink sensibly and give yourself plenty of time to get to the ground.”

We proudly sing that we’ve conquered all of Europe. But let’s treat this beautiful city with the respect that it deserves, and act in a manner that is befitting of LFC. By all means have a good time, but we are Liverpool, and as such,let’s visit here with grace and humility.

— Peter Moore (@PeterMooreLFC) May 1, 2019

Liverpool chief executive Peter Moore urged fans to act with “grace and humility” via Twitter on Wednesday, while a club statement condemned the behaviour of some fans.

The official release read: “Liverpool Football Club is working with Merseyside Police and the authorities in Spain, who are endeavouring to identify those involved in the incident.

“Such behaviour is clearly totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

“It would be inappropriate to comment further while the situation is ongoing other than to confirm the club will follow due process in any and all cases of this nature.”