English police to be sent to Germany for World Cup

LONDON, Mar 9 (Reuters) Uniformed English police officers and members of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) will work in Germany this summer during the World Cup to help fight hooliganism, under plans to be unveiled later today.

Up to 100 uniformed and plain-clothes police officers from Britain will travel to Germany for the June 9 to July 9 tournament, Home Secretary Charles Clarke is expected to say.

The CPS will help with gathering evidence.

The Home Office has announced that a small number of German officers will be patrolling ports and airports across the UK but will not have the power to arrest people.

The plans are among a raft of measures the government is introducing in a bid to make England's involvement in the World Cup trouble-free.

The Times newspaper said there had been persistent reports of a planned clash between England and German fans in Frankfurt at England's opening game, against Paraguay.

Sports minister Richard Caborn told Sky News there would be ''unprecedented cooperation'' with the German police and that he was confident the tournament would pass off peacefully.

England is likely to send the largest contingent of fans to the World Cup, with at least 100,000 expected in Germany.

Almost 1,000 English hooligans were detained and expelled after rioting during Euro 2000 in Belgium and the Netherlands but there was little trouble at the 2002 World Cup in Asia and Euro 2004 after banning orders were imposed on known trouble-makers.

That system will also be in place for Germany.

England are drawn against Paraguay, Trinidad&Tobago and Sweden in the first round.

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