Polish police check World Cup fans

WARSAW, Apr 28 (Reuters) Polish police plan to talk to hundreds of fans with tickets for the World Cup, searching for potential troublemakers as concern rises over the country's hooligan element, police said today.

All regional forces have been instructed to conduct door-to-door and telephone checks on selected winners of the Polish FA's ticket draw, and in some areas will interview all ticket-holders.

''Each force is examining the list and flagging potential problems,'' said national force spokesman Krzysztof Hajdas.

''In some places all of those with tickets are being interviewed. All the information we have is and will be passed on to German police.'' Poland's allocation of tickets for the finals totals some 30,000 but travel agencies say thousands more may travel privately and on package tours to the finals.

German police are optimistic that the World Cup will be spared major outbreaks of violence but some fan associations and media have pointed to the Poland-Germany game on June 14 in Dortmund as a risk.

Only 600 Polish fans have been given bans which may prevent them travelling in June, five times fewer than in England, and government politicians have expressed concern that this number covers only a small part of the country's hooligan element.

REUTERS PDS HS1927