Post by Taxigirl on May 26, 2004 9:06:16 GMT
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3748267.stm
Police want to stop any suspected hooligans getting to Portugal
The Home Office will unveil details of its security operation to prevent any violence by England fans at Euro 2004.
It will include the biggest ever surveillance of ports and airports to try to ensure known or suspected hooligans do not leave the country.
The football tournament starts on 12 June and 60,000 England fans are expected to travel to Portugal.
Currently, 2,100 names are on the list of people who have to hand in their passports five days before the start.
But with a target of 2,500, detectives have been gathering evidence against individuals they suspect of being potential troublemakers.
From midnight on Tuesday, Portugal reimposed border controls with other European countries as part of its security measures in the run up to the championships.
The move was formally approved several weeks ago, prompted by concerns about both hooliganism and terrorism.
'Softly, softly'
Many England fans will be staying on the Algarve along with thousands more British holidaymakers.
The supporters are expected to commute to Lisbon for England's first round matches against France and Croatia, and to Coimbra for the match against Switzerland.
Kevin Miles, international co-ordinator of the Football Supporters' Federation, said: "We have spent months negotiating with the Portuguese railway authorities and persuaded them to put on special trains to take England fans from various points to the games.
"We are hearing that so far take-up has been slow and we think that's because people haven't heard enough about them."
Police have said that it is inevitable there will be some drunken violence, but this may not necessarily be linked to football.
UK forces and their Portuguese counterparts say they will stick to the plan of "softly, softly policing" unless fans' behaviour calls for more forceful tactics.
If there is any violence the England team could be thrown out of the tournament.
Last month the England manager Sven Goran Eriksson appealed for good behaviour from fans during the championship.
He said it would be a "real disaster" if the team were thrown out because of hooliganism.
Euro 2000 was marred by violence from England fans when it was held in Belgium and Holland.
Police want to stop any suspected hooligans getting to Portugal
The Home Office will unveil details of its security operation to prevent any violence by England fans at Euro 2004.
It will include the biggest ever surveillance of ports and airports to try to ensure known or suspected hooligans do not leave the country.
The football tournament starts on 12 June and 60,000 England fans are expected to travel to Portugal.
Currently, 2,100 names are on the list of people who have to hand in their passports five days before the start.
But with a target of 2,500, detectives have been gathering evidence against individuals they suspect of being potential troublemakers.
From midnight on Tuesday, Portugal reimposed border controls with other European countries as part of its security measures in the run up to the championships.
The move was formally approved several weeks ago, prompted by concerns about both hooliganism and terrorism.
'Softly, softly'
Many England fans will be staying on the Algarve along with thousands more British holidaymakers.
The supporters are expected to commute to Lisbon for England's first round matches against France and Croatia, and to Coimbra for the match against Switzerland.
Kevin Miles, international co-ordinator of the Football Supporters' Federation, said: "We have spent months negotiating with the Portuguese railway authorities and persuaded them to put on special trains to take England fans from various points to the games.
"We are hearing that so far take-up has been slow and we think that's because people haven't heard enough about them."
Police have said that it is inevitable there will be some drunken violence, but this may not necessarily be linked to football.
UK forces and their Portuguese counterparts say they will stick to the plan of "softly, softly policing" unless fans' behaviour calls for more forceful tactics.
If there is any violence the England team could be thrown out of the tournament.
Last month the England manager Sven Goran Eriksson appealed for good behaviour from fans during the championship.
He said it would be a "real disaster" if the team were thrown out because of hooliganism.
Euro 2000 was marred by violence from England fans when it was held in Belgium and Holland.