World Cup joy turns sour as minority are branded a 'total disgrace' - and Lancashire police deals with 2,200 calls in just 24 hours

Police in Lancashire have dealt with a record number of calls in the past 24 hours - some 2,200 - with a 'surge in demand' after England's World Cup quarter final victory over Sweden yesterday.
An emergency response car damaged on Borough High Street, London during post match celebrations after the England fotoball team qualified for the semi-final of the World Cup. Picture: London Ambulance Service/PA WireAn emergency response car damaged on Borough High Street, London during post match celebrations after the England fotoball team qualified for the semi-final of the World Cup. Picture: London Ambulance Service/PA Wire
An emergency response car damaged on Borough High Street, London during post match celebrations after the England fotoball team qualified for the semi-final of the World Cup. Picture: London Ambulance Service/PA Wire

Lancashire's assistant chief constable Terry Woods said the calls were "predominantly alcohol-fuelled violence, including domestic and serious assaults."

He tweeted: "We had planned for this but such a shame this happens. Well done team @LancsPolice for your efforts."

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Elsewhere, emergency services hit out at the "disgraceful" minority of England fans who marked the team's passage to the World Cup semi-finals with disorder.

Sgt Wayne Baker, with West Yorkshire Police, tweeted his disgust after pictures emerged of revellers dancing on top of an ambulance in central London.

He wrote: "When I see behaviour like this it makes me anything but proud to be English .... You are a total disgrace. As for our National Football Team ... that does make me proud to be English!"

London Ambulance Service published images of the damage to the vehicle.

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They wrote: "We're delighted with the result, but this has put a big dampener on the celebrations for us: while our officer attended a call nearby, this car was damaged in Borough High Street during the celebrations after the game, it's now off the road to be repaired."

A spokesman for the Met said there had not been a spike in call-outs, despite the hysteria following England's victory over Sweden.

The match was held on the same weekend as the London Pride Parade, Wireless Festival and British Summertime Hyde Park, which brought swathes of tourists to the capital.

Videos posted to social media saw huge crowds fill the streets in cities across the country after the team made it through to the World Cup semi-finals.

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In Nottingham, a group of supporters were seen dancing on top of a bus shelter, while other clips from Manchester and Birmingham showed people on top of buses with their shirts off.

Footage from Clapham, south London, sees a fan plunge through a glass bus stop roof after leaping from the top of a double-decker bus.

In one video, a car can be seen with a smashed roof and windscreen in Nottingham.

A crowd of supporters were also filmed rushing into an Ikea in Stratford, east London, dancing on the furniture and kicking items around.

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An Ikea spokeswoman said: "We are aware of a small group of fans celebrating the match result in one of our stores.

"Being both British and Swedish, we were on the edge of our seats during the game and we would like to say 'Grattis!' (that's congratulations in Swedish) to the England team for getting through to the semi-finals."

England will meet Croatia in the semi-final on Wednesday evening. They will play either France or Belgium in the final, held on Sunday, should they get there.