Steep rise in calls after the final whistle

Ambulance staff faced a barrage of 999 emergency calls after the final whistle in the England Croatia match as some fans struggled to come to terms with the loss.

Call numbers rose by 15% compared to the same time the previous week with over 1100 calls received between 9.30pm and 4.30am.

Assistant Chief Ambulance Officer, Nathan Hudson, who was in control of the Trust, said: “Almost immediately after the final whistle, the phone lines lit up.

“We were called to over 40 reports of assaults in the aftermath of the match.  We also dealt with a number of serious RTCs and other drink related incidents with people falling over, drink fuelled cases of bravado leading to injuries.  Sadly, we also saw a number of cases of domestic violence.