Police are issuing a clampdown during the forthcoming World Cup. The tournament might be miles away in South Africa but police in the West Midlands are using the tournament to stop anyone with a banning order from travelling as well as cracking down on drink driving and television licence evasion,
Forty five people with Coventry addresses have football banning orders and they have already been sent letters telling them to hand over their passports ahead of England's friendlly with Japan on Sunday and West Midlands Police will have a spotter PC Tim Gant in South Africa,who will be applying for banning orders for anyone involved in violence at the tournament for which only three games are sold out.
Inspector Howard Lewis Jones told the CT: " The message is very clear. We want people to enjoy the World Cup but we don't want it to ruin their life. "By all means, have a few beers, be patriotic and enjoy the football, but remember that a moment of madness could mean a criminal record and a banning order that could stop you watching your team for a very long time. "It can have long term repercussions, so that we would rather everyone simply enjoyed the tournament."
It is not certain if the police will use banning orders which prevents people from attending matches if there is trouble in pubs/clubs during televised matches or in town centres with big screens.
Police have also said that they will step up checks on drivers they suspect may have been drinking or taking drugs during the World Cup.
Around 300 officers will be on the roads between June 11th and July 11th with roadside checks through the West Midlands set to happen on the nights that England matches are taking place as well as the following morning.
Television licence inspectors are to blitz Coventry & Warwickshire checking for those watching television without a licence or having a television capable of receiving colour pictures but possessing a black and white licence.