THERE will be extra police in Cambridgeshire’s town and city centres in coming weeks to ensure football fans enjoy a peaceful and incident-free Euro 2012.

Officers are working with pubs and partner agencies including local authorities and the Crown Prosecution Service to prevent any problems and take action if necessary.

There was no significant increase in incidents of violence or disorder in Cambridgeshire during the last major football tournament, the 2010 World Cup.

However, there was an increase in reports of rowdy and inconsiderate behaviour around higher profile matches involving England.

Chief inspector Nick Knight said: “Our priority is public safety and we want everyone who goes out to watch a match during Euro 2012 to do so without fear of violence or disorder.

“Officers will provide a friendly presence and we hope people enjoy watching the games while drinking sensibly but we will not tolerate anti-social or illegal behaviour.

“We are working with pubs to make sure people do not drink too much alcohol and officers will take action to nip potential problems in the bud.

“Anyone who has concerns about a football related event or potential public order problems should not hesitate to contact police on 101.”

Before and during matches, officers will visit pubs and bars to ensure they are complying with their licensing obligations, including not selling alcohol to those who are drunk.

If officers believe someone could commit crime or cause disorder, they can use orders under Section 27 of the Violent Crime Reduction Act to remove them from an area for 48 hours.

They will also confiscate alcohol if it is found in possession of children or being consumed in areas covered by a DPPO (Designated Public Places Order).

Police, pubs, clubs and CCTV in Cambridge, Ely and Peterborough will be on a shared communications network enabling them to identify those in the area causing trouble and refuse entry.

In Cambridgeshire, police have enforced football banning orders on 18 people, 11 in Peterborough, six in Cambridge and one in March.

These people were required to surrender their passports to police stations in those areas by May 30 for the duration of the tournament, regardless of the success of the England team.