Edward Pleeth (acting for West Yorkshire Police), George Thomas and Aaron Rathmell (for Greater Manchester Police) were successful in securing a discontinuance on the second day of trial at Leeds County Court in a test case brought by two Liverpool FC supporters for false imprisonment. There were about 350 further potential claimants in waiting. Each alleged that they had been falsely imprisoned for about four and a half hours during their journey home from an away fixture at Sunderland because the coaches on which they were travelling had been subjected to a ‘rolling containment’ and had been unable to stop or exit from a set route.
Following the discontinuance both forces recovered their costs against the claimants, with the Greater Manchester Police being awarded their costs of trial on an indemnity basis.
