International ban for Euro 2000 fan

A football hooligan deported from the Euro 2000 tournament was believed last night to be the first person to have received an international ban under legislative powers that came into force on Monday.

A football hooligan deported from the Euro 2000 tournament was believed last night to be the first person to have received an international ban under legislative powers that came into force on Monday.

Christopher Sawford, 21, from Swindon in Wiltshire, was served with a court summons on the first day of the Football (Disorder) Act. In court yesterday, he was banned from domestic and international matches for two years.

A Home Office spokeswoman said: "We are pleased that the police and courts are using the new powers available to them and we hope they will continue to do so in advance of the game in Paris on Saturday."

Mr Sawford, who has two convictions for football-related offences, must report to police at the time of the kick-off for England's friendly in France on Saturday.

He will also have to surrender his passport for the duration of this and any England away games for two years, and the order bans him from going within a mile of Swindon's ground during or for two hours either side of a game there.

Police can now arrest anyone they think likely to cause trouble and confiscate their passport in the five days before an international match.