A FOOTBALL fan, who has been banned from attending England international matches abroad, is accused of failing to hand over his passport to city police before a fixture.
Thomas Dee, of Ellison Green, Evesham and formerly of Merstow Green, Evesham, was made subject to a football banning order.
The 23-year-old appeared before magistrates accused of not complying with the order.
The football banning order, made under section 15 of the Football Spectators Act 1989, was imposed upon Dee on September 3, 2019.
One of the conditions had been Dee had to surrender travel documents including his passport at Worcester Police Station ahead of England games.
Appearing at Worcester Magistrates Court on Thursday, (December 1), Dee denied the charge.
Eleanor Peart, prosecuting, told magistrates Dee did not hand in his passport on May 3 this year, ahead of the Hungary v England international played on June 4.
Dee told the court the reason for his not guilty plea was because he had not seen his passport, believing it to be with the police at this time.
Dee added: "I didn't go to the game. I haven't been to a football match since I got the ban.
"My grandfather has been in control of it."
Dee added his three-year order had expired.
At one point the chairman of the magistrates, Kevin Lloyd-Wright, asked what the score had been. England lost the Nations League group match 1-0 after conceding a penalty.
The chairman told Dee he was to appear at Worcester Magistrates Court for his trial which was scheduled for the afternoon of February 17.
Dee was given unconditional bail.
The chairman said: "If you commit an offence (on bail) any sentence could be greater.
"The trial could proceed in your absence."
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Dee was one of more than 1,300 people subject to football banning orders in recent years.
The Home Office recently warned those who failed to hand over their passport and attempted to travel to the World Cup could face six months in prison and an unlimited fine.
The Home Office said preventative measures were put in place for previous international tournaments, with the 2018 World Cup achieving 99 per cent compliance with the requirement for people with football banning orders to surrender their passports.
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