Footage has emerged showing a police officer being engulfed in flames after Legia Warsaw supporters attacked officers before a Europa Conference League match against Aston Villa at Villa Park in November 2023. Eight men have now pleaded guilty over their part in what police have described as the "worst violence seen in decades" at a football fixture, marking a significant conclusion to a lengthy investigation. The incident highlights the severity of organised football-related disorder and the risks faced by public order officers.

Around 300 officers came under sustained attack for what was described as "90 minutes" as hooligans, armed with poles and drainpipes, hurled burning flares, bricks and bottles. More than 40 people were arrested and 700 hours of body-worn camera footage was reviewed as part of the inquiry. Newly released footage shows PC Andy Forbes, an experienced officer with 18 years of public order policing, struggling to remove his jacket after a flare became lodged in it; he suffered burns and was taken to hospital but said he was "eternally grateful" to avoid lasting injuries, describing how he "went off like a crackerjack".