England's World Cup chef barred from train over kitchen knives in latest pre-tournament chaos

England’s pre-World Cup preparations have been disrupted again after the squad’s team chef was barred from boarding a train in Florida when his kitchen knives set off a metal detector at West Palm Beach station.

The chef had been attempting to travel to Orlando ahead of England’s warm-up friendly against Costa Rica on Wednesday when the security alert was triggered. Brightline, the rail operator running the service, prohibits the carrying of weapons of any type — a policy that extends to kitchen knives — and staff informed the chef he would not be permitted to board with his equipment. He was ultimately forced to make alternative travel arrangements, and the situation was resolved without further incident.

The episode is the latest in a string of setbacks to hit the Three Lions in the build-up to their Group L opener against Panama on 17 June. On the eve of the squad’s arrival at their Kansas City base, some of the team’s boots and official tournament balls were stolen from their Swope Soccer Village training facility. Football Association sources have since indicated that the majority of the missing equipment — described as not irreplaceable — has been recovered. Local police confirmed two individuals have been apprehended in connection with the theft.

England have now settled into their World Cup base at the Inn at Meadowbrook hotel in the south of Kansas City, where they were greeted by several hundred supporters on arrival.

Florida state law permits the carrying of concealed firearms and pocket knives, but private rail operators retain the right to set their own stricter rules — a distinction that caught the chef off guard when he unknowingly walked through the detector at West Palm Beach.