Strathclyde Police called in to Dallas allegations

Hugh Dallas

According to a report in The Times today Strathclyde Police have stepped into the SFA enquiry that Hugh Dallas sent out an offensive email linking the pope to child abuse.

A week after the SFA announced their own investigation it seems that the police have decided to get involved.

According to The Times the Roman Catholic Church last night called on the SFA to make a public statement on the issue.

Responding to the police involvement in the case, a spokesman for the Church said: “Incitement to religious hatred is very serious and if an official of a national football association has been involved in this type of intolerant behaviour, firm and decisive action must be taken by the SFA in order to preserve its credibility.”

“The Catholic Church would urge the SFA to make public the messages concerned as soon as possible.”

Yesterday a Hearts fan was banned from football grounds for a year and fined £700 for singing a sectarian song at an Aberdeen-Hearts match last month.

Discussing the Dallas allegations leading criminal QC, Paul McBride, said: “On the face of it there is an e-mail which appears to have passed between a number of people which is plainly offensive and has a religious or sectarian theme. This has in the past been shown to constitute a criminal offence.

He added: “A football fan who was shouting sectarian chants from the terraces has today been banned from all football grounds for a year by the courts.

“I don’t wish to prejudice these issues but it would be extraordinary if such action was taken against a fan and there wasn’t a serious investigation into someone who is meant to be impartial and is the head of referees development at the SFA.”

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