England fan Rob Spray death: Family 'left in limbo'

Rob Spray and his 10-month-old niece Elsie last month

The family of an England football fan say they still do not know how he died, a week after his death in Bulgaria.

Rob Spray, 32, of Heath Hayes, Staffordshire, was in Sofia last Monday for England's Euro 2020 qualifier.

The West Bromwich Albion fan will be remembered at his side's Championship home game against Barnsley on Tuesday evening.

Mr Spray's body is due to arrive in the UK later this week and an inquest will be opened by the Staffordshire coroner.

His sister, Katie Brown, said a lack of details from Bulgarian authorities had left the family in limbo.

The family say they are aware of 10 witness statements and CCTV of Mr Spray's last movements, but they said that has not been released to Staffordshire Police.

Rob Spray travelled to Bulgaria to watch England's Euro qualifier in his first game

Mrs Brown said the Bulgarian police had not let the Staffordshire force know the full details of the circumstances surrounding the death.

"We're broken. We've had no answers at all and he's been dead over a week," said Mrs Brown, from Cannock.

"I think he went to get food from McDonald's and got lost.

"We've heard reports of a head injury, but we don't know for certain."

Local reports in Sofia have indicated Mr Spray was taken to hospital but became aggressive and police were called.

"We don't know if police were at the hospital or were called to the hospital and then he was taken to the police station and he later died in transit," she said.

"But we don't know why, how, where or what happened. We don't know anything."

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England fans showed vocal support for their team during the match at the Vasil Levski National Stadium

Mr Spray's friend Andrew McMath, who organised the trip for his 30th birthday, said it was Mr Spray's first England match.

Bulgaria's Ministry of Interior said police were working to "clarify all the circumstances in the incident."

A Staffordshire Police spokesperson said: "Inquiries into the circumstances around the death in Bulgaria of a man from Staffordshire continue. The process to repatriate his body has now begun and his family is being kept informed of any developments."

The Foreign Office said it had contacted Mr Spray's family to offer specific bereavement support and explained the local procedures in Bulgaria.

No funeral date has been set, but the family are planning for mourners to wear football shirts during the service.