World Cup fans will be vetted by Japanese officials

SCORES OF England football fans with tickets for the World Cup face being turned back by Japanese immigration authorities because of previous convictions for drug offences and other past criminal misdemeanours.

The National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS) said it had conducted an investigation into the criminal records of 2,000 English fans sold tickets by football's governing body, Fifa, over the internet. NCIS said it would be writing to 50 fans to tell them that details of their past convictions had been sent to the Japanese authorities and that they would be refused landing rights at Japanese airports.

Brian Drew, head of specialist intelligence at NCIS, said: "They either have a drugs conviction or have been to prison for more than 12 months or have committed an offence of violence. We will be writing to these people to say that your criminal record has been provided to the Japanese authorities and they have indicated to us that you will be denied landing rights."

It was announced that 1,007 known hooligans are subject to Football Banning Orders and will have to surrender their passports for the duration of the World Cup.

Additionally, intelligence files have been prepared by NCIS on a further 200 hooligan suspects, who are not subject to banning orders. Two Japanese immigration officers, who arrived in Britain last week to study the intelligence files, have decided that 150 of these individuals will be refused entry to Japan.

Mr Drew said the names of the 1,007 banned fans were being made available to all international airlines with flights to Japan, not just those flying directly from Britain.

Around 8,000 English supporters are expected to attend next month's tournament, with 4,000 having obtained tickets through the official England Members Club. Police believe around 2,000 England fans may seek to obtain tickets after arriving in Japan.

Plans have already been put in place to block attempts by known hooligans to circumvent security checks by entering Japan from Thailand. Several bars in Thai resorts are owned by expatriate Britons with links to football hooliganism.

NCIS said British law enforcement has also been at pains to persuade the Japanese authorities that most English fans are not intent on causing trouble. Mr Drew said: "We are hoping that England supporters will be able to regain some of the reputation that we have lost."

British officials believe senior Japanese police officers appreciate the difference between a hooligan and a genuine supporter but with thousands of Japanese officers on duty at each game there are concerns that the message may not get through to all ranks.

NCIS published statistics showing the numbers of fans of each club subject to a Football Banning Order. Cardiff City had the worst record with 112, followed by Stoke City, 98, Leeds United, 66, Derby County, 37, and Manchester City, 35.