English Premiership
Cops drop Clattenburg case
2012-11-13 20:55
London - British police said on Tuesday they had no plans to continue enquiries into a complaint regarding alleged racist comments by referee Mark Clattenburg towards a Chelsea player because no victim had come forward.
The Society of Black Lawyers reported Clattenburg to London's Metropolitan Police after Chelsea complained to the English Football Association the referee used a term understood to have been interpreted as racist towards John Obi Mikel during the 3-2 English Premier League defeat by Manchester United on October 28.
While the FA enquiry is continuing, a police statement said, from their perspective, "the matter cannot currently be investigated".
"An investigation was launched into alleged comments made during a football match between Chelsea FC and Manchester United FC at Stamford Bridge on 28 October 2012," the statement said.
"This follows on from a complaint received by the Metropolitan Police Service on 29 October.
"Enquires were made and no victims have come forward. The matter will remain as a recorded incident.
"Without a victim and/or any evidence that any offence has been committed, the matter cannot currently be investigated."
However, the statement added police could look again at the incident.
"If the situation changes and a victim and/or evidence to support an allegation of a crime comes to police attention then further enquiries will if appropriate be made," it read.
It was announced on Monday that Clattenburg would miss another round of Premier League matches - the third successive weekend since Chelsea made their complaint that football chiefs have felt it best to keep the 37-year-old official out of the firing line.