Chelsea to hire detective to target racists, ticket touts & fraudsters (Times)

Chelsea will reportedly appoint their own undercover detective to target racists, ticket touts and fraudsters at matches.

The Premier League outfit are taking a hard line against touts, fraudsters and any discriminatory behaviour they see at fixtures.

According to The Times, the 'investigative intelligence researcher' will report to Chelsea's head of security and look out for any types of discrimination and anti-social behaviour - which includes abuse on social media.

The position at the Stamford Bridge outfit would suit a former police detective or someone involved in the intelligence services.

Candidates require experience of analysing CCTV evidence and putting together reports that would be used in legal cases.

The investigator will reportedly also be expected to tap into databases, like the Clue system, which is used by the insurance industry to track people's claims and losses.

When monitoring discriminatory social media posts, the detective will look to track down the perpetrators, recommend action if they are Chelsea supporters and inform the police and social media platforms.

Chelsea are taking a hard-hitting approach following trouble in recent times.

Back in July, the club used video and lip-reading evidence before banning six fans after concluding that Manchester City's Raheem Sterling had been racially abused at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League last season.

Meanwhile, this season, Chelsea have won High Court injunctions against 11 touts - one of whom was sent to six months in prison for contempt of court.