Police were ordered to avoid using force when dealing with ticketless football fans who forced their way into Wembley Stadium during the England vs Italy match on 11 July, a Metropolitan Police officer has told The Times.
The policeman claimed that he and his colleagues were instructed not to intervene with the swarms of fans, unlawfully entering the arena, to uphold the force's "brand image".
"It is just annoying we are held back from doing our job. We are in public order gear for a reason", the officer complained.
According to the cop, the level of the police's preparedness for the event was rather low as the force deployed many inexperienced officers to the event and left Wembley considerably undermanned.
Reports emerged earlier this week that up to 5,000 fans illegally entered Wembley by tailgating those with a ticket, breaching exit doors or disabled entrances, and bribing security guards.
On 11 July, England faced Italy in the final of 2020 Euro tournament. This was the first time England had reached a Euro final in its history, but it was unable to land the trophy, after a penalty shootout handed Italy the win.