Three men arrested for alleged homophobic chanting at Liverpool vs Chelsea match

Merseyside Police arrested three men for alleged homophobic chanting during Liverpool’s home game against Chelsea on Saturday.

In three separate incidents, two arrests took place outside the stadium on Anfield Road and one inside the ground.

The men, aged 23, 37 and 49 years, were arrested on suspicion of homophobic intentional harassment alarm and distress. The 37-year-old has been bailed pending further enquiries, and the other two men are set to attend a voluntary interview.

The chant allegedly used has previously been aimed at Chelsea players and supporters and in January 2022, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) classed the chant as a homophobic slur - meaning fans singing it during matches would be committing a hate crime.

Superintendent Paul Sutcliffe said: “Merseyside Police will not tolerate hate crime of any form, and we will bring to justice anyone found responsible for committing any offensive chanting.

“In this instance, if the three suspects are charged and found guilty for the offence, then we will we will be seeking football banning orders on them.”

He added: “It is vital that anyone who witnesses such an offence reports it to stewards or the police immediately, so we can take the necessary action.

“As with all matches, we work very closely with both clubs to ensure the safety of the public and the teams themselves.”