Thugs hand in passports

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Merc

Convicted football hooligans have handed their passports to police to prevent them travelling to the Euro 2012 tournament in Poland and Ukraine.

Thirty-three thugs surrendered travel documents to Leicestershire police last week, to comply with court-imposed football banning orders.

The orders – imposed for offences including drunken behaviour, assault and violent disorder over the past few years – remove the right to travel overseas during tournaments.

Forty Leicestershire residents are on banning orders but seven do not have passports, police established.

The tournament opens on Friday. England play France next Monday.

Chief Inspector Ian Coulton, who is overseeing the force's policing of the three-week tournament, said: "The banning orders are only imposed in cases where it has been proved that the person has caused or closely contributed to violence in or around a stadium.

"The maximum life of a ban is 10 years, depending on the offence committed, and we haven't had to apply for an order for 18 months or so."

Officers – including specialist "hooligan spotters" – will begin duties at East Midlands Airport this week.

They will be on the lookout for banned fans from different parts of the country who have not surrendered their passports and are trying to get to the tournament.

The airport is a departure point for several Polish towns and cities but does not serve Ukraine.

Police will also be keeping an eye on fans closer to home.

Chief Insp Coulton said: "Pubs across the county will be busy.

"Our general advice to licensees is to enjoy the tournament, to stick to the terms of their licences and if they have any problems to let us know straight away."

A city centre licensee said: "The pub really fills up for England games and everyone always has a really good time – as long as the results go our way.

"The police are always brilliant, too, on those big match days and we know they'll be there if we need them."

England and Leicester City fan Simon Lewis, 32, from Stoneygate, in the city, said: "Football has come a long way since the bad days of hooliganism. Apart from the occasional incident, fans have represented England brilliantly at home and abroad."

Across the country, 3,000 people are subject to the orders, which also bar them from every ground in England and Wales during the season.

Nick Hawkins, Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) national spokesman on sports and football issues, said police and branches of the CPS would take swift action against people arrested for football-related violence during the tournament.

He said: "The CPS has built a good reputation for dealing effectively with offences around sporting tournaments over a number of years we are well prepared for Euro 2012 and should be able to cope with any incidents."