Euro 2020: Danish family attacked by England fans

A Danish family has described the "fear" they felt when they were assaulted by England fans after the Euro 2020 semi-final.

Eva Greene, 43, said it was "like a zombie movie" when fans wearing England shirts surrounded a bus she and her family boarded from Wembley.

Her nine-year-old child was forced to flee as his father was punched in the stomach by one supporter, she said.

"I'm telling my Italian friends to stay indoors on Sunday," Mrs Greene added.

Eva, her husband Lane and son Henry, had been in the Danish supporters end at Wembley Stadium.

The family "had been excited to support the team" and "we felt it was so important to go and show we were behind them" following Christian Eriksen's on-field cardiac arrest.

On the final leg of the family's journey to their Dulwich home a crowd were jumping on a truck in the road ahead of us so the bus had to slow down, she said.

"We were downstairs with my sleeping son when a crowd of people spotted our Danish tops through the windows," she said.

Amongst the group, who were signing football chants, were men and women wearing England football shirts, football scarves and wearing face-paint.

"They started banging on the windows and the doors, screaming and yelling.

"My son asked, 'why are they doing this' and I had no good answer."

When the bus driver opened the doors she said the family tried to "diffuse" the situation by congratulating the fans on England's victory.

"This went down like a lead balloon," she said.

"There was an aggressive mood that filled us with fear. It was a bit like a zombie movie.

"My son clearly got scared and he went up the stairs, so I followed him to keep him nearby."

At this point an attacker ran at her husband punching him in the stomach to cheers from the crowd, she said.

"Then the bus driver decided to close the doors and off we went. I was sitting with my son and adult people were banging on the windows and making obscene gestures."

Mrs Greene has called for a greater police presence "everywhere, not just at Wembley" to protect Italian fans in London for the Euro 2020 final on Sunday night.

But she warns it could take an intervention from the England team to prevent attacks from fans in the future.

"This England team have been so positive and classy. I don't think this is what they're about, she said.

"I'm certain the England team respects the Italian and Danish teams. So the fans should too.

"I'm hoping it will be addressed by the team or Gareth Southgate."

Despite this, she says the family still plan to support England.

"We've been here for six years and so one night isn't going to undo how much we love it here.

"It's not hard to support this team. They lead by example."

The Met Police said it is investigating an allegation of an assault on Lordship Lane, East Dulwich, on 7 July at around 23:50 BST.

"A passenger on a bus is alleged to have been punched by a man who was part of a crowd of people blocking the road," a spokesman said.

"The victim did not sustain any lasting injuries and did not require hospital treatment."