Detained England fans face banning orders

GELSENKIRCHEN, July 1 (Reuters) England fans detained by police in Germany during the World Cup could face banning orders when they return to Britain if they have been in trouble with the law before, a legal spokesman said today.

Simon Clements, a British prosecutor working in Germany during the tournament, said his team had built up detailed information on the more than 600 England fans who have been detained at the finals so far.

He said it was highly likely that they would apply for banning orders for those prosecuted for football-related violence, while those held and later released with no charge could also be banned if they were already known to the police.

Anyone who was detained by police but had not been in trouble before was likely to avoid a ban, he said.

''If you've been detained under preventative powers and either come to our attention in the UK or in Germany as has happened on some occasions ... it's probable we'll seek a banning order,'' he said.

Banning orders were introduced in Britain after Euro 2000 to prevent known trouble-makers from travelling to major tournaments. Some 3,800 are currently in use.

England supporters have a long history of soccer-related violence but a combination of banning orders and the presence of more families following the national side have changed their image in recent years.

GERMAN LAW Between 50,000 to 70,000 English fans have followed the team at each World Cup game in Germany and there has been little trouble but some 500 were held in Stuttgart before England's second-round match for clashing with rival fans and police.

Under German law, police can detain people using ''preventative'' powers for up to 48 hours and it does not constitute a full arrest.

Last night, 13 England fans were held in the industrial city of Gelsenkirchen after supporters clashed with locals on the eve of England's quarter-final with Portugal.

Scuffles broke out as supporters gathered for Saturday's game while German fans celebrated their team's 4-2 win on penalties over Argentina in Berlin.

Stephen Thomas, the head of a British police team working in Germany, said the evening had passed smoothly otherwise.

''Overnight in Gelsenkirchen we saw some isolated incidents of disorder,'' he told a news conference. ''There were some altercations between local people and English people.

''From an English perspective, (with) about 2,000 English people drinking last night in the bars and various areas of Gelsenkirchen, it was a fairly quiet night.'' Thirty seven mostly German fans were also held.

England play Portugal at 1500 GMT in the Arena AufSchalke.

REUTERS PM KP1626