HOME Secretary Jack Straw today admitted he had no "magic wand" to end English soccer violence.

The Blackburn MP hit back as criticism grew of his failure to stop thugs and hooligans travelling abroad.

With the European football authorities threatening to expel the English team from Euro 2000, the pressure on Mr Straw is growing.

But today he said he was working to see what else could be done to tackle the problem before England play Romania tomorrow.

He said he was seeking to build on the initiatives drawn up at a meeting of Euro football bosses at Blackburn Rovers' Ewood Park earlier this year.

He said: "Its never easy. We have strengthened the law. We have strengthened co-operation with other police forces.

"We have the most intensive system in place to try to stop football hooligans going abroad that we ever have.

"But the fact is that the overwhelming majority of those arrested have no convictions for football related violence or intelligence against them.

"Of the 200 who came back to Britain on Saturday, not one of them had a conviction or was known to the intelligence services.

"I would appeal to British fans to steer clear of trouble and to stay away tomorrow."

And he rejected criticism from the Belgium government, the Tories and the Football Association that not enough had been done by the government.