West Ham suffers new crowd surveillance blow as Airwave system further delayed
25 Oct 2016
A top Premier League football club will have to manage without official police presence for home games inside its prestigious stadium for the majority of this season.
A long-running problem – first highlighted two years ago – means additional policing measures cannot be implemented at West Ham’s London Stadium because of the absence of the Airwave radio system.
And the system that allows officers to communicate safely within the Olympic Park will now not be operational until at least February.
Stadium operators London 185 had previously claimed that Airwave would be in place in time for the match against Arsenal on December 3.
However, the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has confirmed a further two-month delay.
For the EFL Cup clash against London rivals Chelsea on Wednesday (October 26), almost 5,200 away fans will descend on the converted London 2012 Olympic stadium, where West Ham moved to at the beginning of the 2016/17 season.
The club has reportedly previously struggled to cope with an average of 3,000 visiting fans against less ‘hostile’ opposition.
Due to the absence of Airwave, the MPS has so far refused to place officers inside the ground on health and safety grounds.
However, for the Chelsea game, a ‘tactical solution’ has been found that, in the event of crime or disorder taking place, officers can be deployed inside the ground and it is understood there will be police vans outside that will act as a central communication system.
And, because of the nature of the game, the MPS may yet decide to deploy officers within the stadium before and during the game.
Earlier in the season ten fans were ejected from the Olympic Park after fights broke out in the closing stages of the local derby with Watford.
The MPS, which retains a presence outside the ground until "serious" incidents require inside attendance, maintains progress cannot be made until the system is fully functional.
Last month MPS Deputy Assistant Commissioner Peter Terry explained: "Until there is comprehensive Airwave radio coverage throughout the ground officers will not be routinely deployed within it," said Mr Terry.
"The stadium operators (separate to the owners) have only very recently agreed to install a satisfactory radio system."
It is understood a deal was agreed in May and originally was to be in place by the beginning of December.