Police presence stepped up outside Hampden Park after complaints

There were concerns over anti-social behaviour.

Two sergeants and 12 police officers are “solely dedicated” to the local community before and after events at the stadium, which hosts high-profile football matches and gigs.

It comes after concerns were raised late last year over the behaviour of some fans at football games, with Mount Florida Community Council reporting “unacceptable” behaviour including urinating in public and fighting.

In June, ahead of a Scotland international, police urged football fans not to urinate in the gardens of homes near Hampden Park. Residents have also reported a lack of parking enforcement during events.

Sergeant Gordon Murphy told a meeting of the Langside Area Partnership that a ‘Hampden community reassurance action plan’ had been launched “in response to the concerns quite rightly raised by the residents around events at Hampden”.

He said the scheme “continues and that action plan is enhanced by an additional policing operation”. Sergeant Murphy, who is responsible for the Linn and Langside areas of the city, added the extra officers are “solely dedicated to the local community pre and post event”.

“Initial feedback from residents is positive,” he said, but admitted there is “still work to be done”. “In particular around the toilet facilities between Mount Florida train station and the stadium, we are working with our partners and local residents to try and get a solution established for that.”

Before the plan was put in place, Judith Pollock, chair of Mount Florida Community Council, had called for the police to do more to prevent anti-social behaviour.

She said: “Residents of Mount Florida recognise that there will be some disruption to normal life when events are held at Hampden Park.

“However, this does not extend to the levels of anti-social behaviour seen this weekend with grown men behaving with utter disrespect and contempt to our community.”

Police Scotland promised to introduce extra measures, including more security and portaloos around the stadium.