A balaclava-clad football hooligan who hurled a deadly pyrotechnic flare at opposing European fans was unmasked as a serving British police officer.

Detective Constable Gordon Irikefe of London’s Met has been instantly dismissed after a misconduct hearing found he had engaged in numerous acts of hooliganism at Arsenal matches between October 2022 and April 2024.

The hearing was told how Irikefe, attached to Central South Command Unit, was arrested in Germany after travelling to watch his team’s Champion’s League clash with Bayern Munich.

It was alleged that Det Con Irikefem, who was off-duty at the time, lit and threw a pyrotechnic flare into the crowd during the match on April 17 last year.

He was arrested by German police on the same day for wearing a full balaclava and sunglasses inside the stadium and was fined 100 Euros for the “masking” offence.

The hearing found he had breached the standards of professional behaviour for discreditable conduct at the level of gross misconduct.

The officer resigned from the force on Wednesday, 12 February but his notice period meant he was still a serving officer when his misconduct hearing was held, leading to him being dismissed without notice.

He appeared at court today after investigating officers from the Met’s Central Football Unit made an application for a football banning order to prevent him committing further violence and disorder.

The court heard that since October 2022 Det Con Irikefe had come to police notice on numerous occasions for disorderly and anti-social behaviour at football matches, including the matters in Germany for which he had also been disciplined, receiving management action.

In February 2023 he was heard “tragedy chanting” at a Leicester City march, shouting “helicopter” in reference to the devastating crash that claimed the life of five people including former Leicester City owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha.

Other allegations included making lewd gestures and shouting abuse at a substitute player, “masking up” to conceal his identify and intimating other fans including using pyrotechnics.

The order was granted and will be in place for the next three years meaning Irikefe is banned from attending any regulated football matches in the UK and must surrender his passport when asked to do so in relation to football matches played outside the UK.

He also cannot go within one mile of the Emirates stadium if Arsenal are playing four hours before and after the match, nor visit any town, city or London borough four hours before and after an away match.

The order means he must not go without two miles of any stadium where the England national team are playing four hours before and after the match.

Det Supt Emma Bond, in charge of policing for the Central South area, said: “Det Con Irikefe has shown an unacceptable pattern of behaviour at football matches, for anyone, let alone a police officer who should uphold the highest of standards whether on or off duty.

“His actions have not only seen him now subject to a football banning order, but have also cost him his job.

”I am grateful to professional standards and football unit colleagues for pulling together the evidence in this case to ensure we have been able to take decisive action.”

The disgraced officer will also now be placed on the barred list held by the College of Policing. Those appearing on the list cannot be employed by police, local policing bodies (PCCs), the Independent Office for Police Conduct or His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services.