The U.K. warned its football fans that Euro 2016 "could be hit by terrorist attacks," despite reassurances from France, the hosts, and UEFA, that the tournament will be safe, according to Murad Ahmed of the FINANCIAL TIMES. The U.K. Foreign Office said on Tuesday that stadiums, transport hubs and other football-related venues such as the fanzones where matches are publicly screened could become "potential targets for terrorist attacks." It urged the estimated 500,000 English, Welsh and Northern Irish fans traveling to the tournament, which kicks off on Friday, to be "vigilant at all times." It said that while France has "reinforced its security measures," there continue to be threats by "Islamist terror groups." Last week, U.S. authorities issued an alert identifying Euro 2016 venues as "potential targets for terrorists" (FT, 6/7). In London, Laura Hughes wrote PM David Cameron "chaired a meeting on Monday on preparations for the tournament." A Foreign Office spokeperson said, "We have updated the travel advice to provide further information for fans on the risk of terrorism in France as they start to travel for Euro 2016." A Downing Street spokesperson said the French authorities "have got an extensive security operation in place, with 77,000 police and gendarmes, 10,000 military personnel and a similar amount of security guards." She added, "We are providing additional counter-terrorism and public order support to the French. That includes, for example, the deployment of additional police on trains into France and more UK Border Force outbound checks." A police operation targeting 29 U.K. ports in the run-up to the tournament began on Monday, "with trained spotters trying to detect football hooligans attempting to sneak out of the country" (TELEGRAPH, 6/7). REUTERS' Kylie Maclellan wrote a spokesperson for Cameron told reporters at a regular briefing that the advice "was not a result of specific intelligence." She said, "It is not in response to a new or specific threat ... It is in the context of making sure that the government and authorities are doing all they can to provide relevant information for fans" (REUTERS, 6/6). The PA reported British counter-terrorism officers "are playing a key part in planning against attacks" and a U.K. team has traveled to France and is working with police and intelligence services there. Commander Dean Haydon, the head of Scotland Yard’s anti-terror squad, said, "As we approach the Euros, any operation such as that in any country is clearly a concern. ... Certainly we have seen propaganda, Islamic State and potential talk of plots against the Euros, but we’re working with all those various different agencies to police and make the Euros a safe event and a safe Games" (PA, 6/7).
