TWO March people are among 26 in Cambridgeshire who have been hit with football banning orders for the duration of the World Cup.

It means they were required to surrender their passports prior to England’s two pre-World Cup friendlies against Mexico and Japan and then on June 1 for the duration of the tournament, which starts on Friday.

There are also 18 people in Peterborough, two in Huntingdon and four in Cambridge who have been hit with a similar ban.

A police spokesman said today (Monday): “So far only one person, a 23-year-old man from Peterborough, has failed to surrender their passport, in this case prior to the friendly match against Japan (on May 30).

“He was arrested on May 30, charged with failing to comply with the banning order and bailed to appear at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on June 15.”

Nationwide, there are football banning orders for 2,770 people.

There will be extra patrols in town and city centres during the World Cup, with officers set to work with pubs and partner agencies to prevent problems and take action if necessary.

During the 2006 World Cup there was a slight increase in the number of violent crime and public order offences in Cambridgeshire. From June 9 to July 9, there were 1,158 offences, compared to 1,047 for the same period in 2005 and 1,105 in 2007.

Saturdays were a peak time for trouble, with an average of 58 offences per day. On July 1 2006, when England played Portugal, there were 80 offences.

Supt Nick Knight said: “We want everyone who goes out to watch a match during this World Cup to do so without fear of violence or disorder.

“Officers will provide a friendly presence and we hope people enjoy watching the games 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.”

Police will visit pubs and bars before and during matches 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 could use orders under Section 27 of the Violent Crime Reduction Act to remove people from an area for 48 hours.

They will also confiscate alcohol if it is found in possession of children.