Polish Government 'Surprised' At Prominence Of Sol Campbell Comments In Panorama Euro 2012 Programme

Polish Government Surprised At Campbell Prominence

The Polish Ministry of Interior have spoken of their "surprise" at the BBC's Panorama programme using Sol Campbell as a key spokesperson in their investigation of anti-semitic and racially-motivated violence in Poland and Ukraine ahead of Euro 2012.

Campbell appeared on the documentary, aired Monday night, advising England supporters not to travel to Eastern Europe in light of the footage he was shown.

However a spokesperson for the ministry claimed the exposé failed to gauge an accurate summary of measures being taken prior to the tournament.

Małgorzata Woźniak said: "The Polish Government is surprised that the report contains the opinion of one person only and failed to include the views of international security experts.

"The Polish Police cooperates with the international police forces on a permanent basis, including the British Police and the material broadcast omitted to provide any information on the British Police Force's safety and security plans for EURO 2012.

"We would like to point out that liaison officers from the British Police are coming to Poland during the tournament to assist and cooperate with the Polish Police based on previous exchanges of information and consultation."

Concerns are rife in England, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott's families confirming they will not be travelling east due to the region's reputation for racial offences.

The Foreign Office has also advised any black and Asian fans travelling to take extra precautions. However Woźniak added the vast majority of national teams being based in Polish cities indicates their faith in the country's security.

"The Polish Police Force has been preparing the security procedures for EURO 2012 for many years, taking into account various possible scenarios.

"As many as 13 out of 16 national football teams, including the English team, taking part in Euro 2012 have chosen to stay in Polish cities which clearly shows their confidence in Poland's safety and security. The English team is staying in Kraków during the whole tournament, a well-known and popular destination amongst tourists from Great Britain."

Campbell was described as "simply insolent" by Ukraine's Euro 2012 director on Tuesday, as the neighbouring countries continue to fightback after the documentary was shown.

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