Two individuals were arrested after photos seemed to mock Bradley Lowery during Sheffield Wednesday’s game against Sunderland.
Two males, aged 31 and 27, were detained after photographs of the late six-year-old were published on social media.
Two males were arrested on suspicion of violating public decency at Hillsborough on Friday night, during Sunderland’s match against Sheffield Wednesday.
South Yorkshire Police said two men, aged 31 and 27, were arrested on Saturday and were being held in police custody after photos on social media seemed to insult Bradley Lowery. Lowery died in 2017 at the age of six after being diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a rare form of juvenile cancer.
Bradley, a mascot for his favorite club, struck up a close bond with then-Sunderland striker Jermain Defoe, with whom he led England out at Wembley. After being diagnosed with the condition at the age of 18 months, his battle was nearly life-long, and his fortitude drew national attention and raised awareness for the sickness.
In 2017, his mother Gemma established the Bradley Lowery Foundation to assist families who are seeking funds for therapy or equipment that is not widely available on the NHS. Lynn Murphy, co-founder of the foundation, told ChronicleLive on Saturday that Bradley’s parents were “very upset” about the alleged incident.
Mum Gemma went on to ask people to let the police “do their job” as the inquiry was handled by the cops.
“Officers have arrested two men in connection with an ongoing investigation into public order offences following a football match,” stated a spokesman for South Yorkshire Police. We are still in the early phases of our investigation and encourage anyone who believes they have information that can help to contact us online, via live chat, or by dialing 101.”
The arrests occurred after Sheffield Wednesday, in collaboration with South Yorkshire Police, started their own inquiry into the incident and apologized to Bradley’s family and friends. Sheffield United defeated Sunderland 0-3 to move to fourth place in the Championship.
