LOUTS who cause trouble in Bolton town centre during the World Cup are being warned they face being banned from attending matches in the future.

Police are warning troublemakers that they could face football banning orders for violence and disorder in the town during the tournament, which starts in Germany tomorrow.

The orders are usually reserved for hooligans who wreak havoc in and around football grounds but police in Bolton say drunken yobs spilling from the town's pubs after crunch games will be targeted.

Police in the town were the first in the country to obtain a football banning order for offences while a tournament was being played in another country during the 2002 World Cup in Japan.

The lunchtime finish to England's game against Argentina in June, 2002 saw police pelted with bottles in Bradshawgate when pubs closed during the day.

PC Gary Lee, licensing officer for Bolton, said: "If we perceive that any disorder committed in Bolton during the next five weeks is football related, those responsible face being banned.

"We obtained a banning order against one individual for disorder during the 2002 World Cup and we are more experienced at using the orders.

"If somebody causes trouble after coming out of a bar where the football has been showing and they appear to us to have been a problem because of the football we will not hesitate to apply for a banning order."

A football banning order bans an individual from all football grounds in the UK for between three and five years and from travelling abroad when England are playing.

Anybody subject to an order would have to report to a police station on match days and would have to surrender their passports to police ahead of football tournaments stopping them from leaving the country even for a holiday.

A total of 3,286 hooligans including 43 Bolton Wanderers fans are banned from travelling to Germany for this summer's tournament.

On the evenings of each of England's matches, police numbers in Bolton town centre will be similar to that of a Friday or Saturday night.

A mobile TV screen will also be in the town centre tomorrow night to coincide with the first game of the World Cup to warn people to drink responsibly.

A crackdown on booze-fuelled nuisance in the town during the championships could see rowdy fans issued with £80 on-the-spot-fines or facing arrest.

PC Lee said pubs across the town had been advised not to run drinks promotions and to ensure food was on sale to customers who were drinking throughout the day during the World Cup.

"We welcome people coming to the town centre to enjoy watching the football and we are aware that spirits will run high," added PC Lee.

"We hope that people will think twice about their behaviour.

"We have also asked licensees in the town to make sure that they act responsibly."

Laura Miseo, Bolton Town Centre Ltd's night-time economy manager, said a meeting had been held with licensees last week.

"We are expecting the nights when England play to be like a normal, busy Friday or Saturday in town," she said.

"We have reminded licensees of their obligations and we are looking forward to the next few weeks."