Police to crack down on football hooligans

New plans to prevent football hooligans likely to be causing trouble at next year's World Cup have been unveiled.

The proposals, agreed by police chiefs and the Crown Prosecution Service, are likely to focus on more minor offences and lower level bad behaviour.

Under legislation introduced five years ago, football hooligans can be banned from travelling overseas.

They have to report to local police stations and hand in their passports ahead of big international matches.

CPS prosecutors and police across the country said they will now opt for prosecuting hooligans for minor offences rather than cautioning them, meaning they would also be barred from travelling if found guilty.

Chief Crown Prosecutor for the West Midlands David Blundell said: "We want to prevent the small minority of yobs from travelling to Germany for the World Cup in 2006."

The recent changes in the law have been hailed as a success and have helped restore English supporters' tarnished reputation.

However, some police have reported a rise in anti-social acts such as throwing objects out of train windows, urinating on seats and shouting abuse, Sky News reports.