Met to deploy mobile riot squads when England games are screened

Scotland Yard is to mobilise extra patrols and have riot squads on duty to deal with any outbreaks of alcohol-fuelled disorder in pubs and clubs during the World Cup.

Police fear that drunken fans could cause trouble, particularly where matches involving England are screened. These fixtures have been codenamed Red Days with hundreds of extra officers on alert.

The operation comes amid fears over the safety of supporters in South Africa. The country's police have launched a review of security at matches following the stampede before Nigeria and North Korea's warm-up match at a 12,000-seat stadium in Johannesburg, which saw 16 people injured.

There was a crowd surge once the stadium gates were opened and several people were knocked to the floor and trampled as fans tried to get in.

England's final warm-up match for the tournament — which starts on Friday — is against a local team at a stadium near Rustenburg today.

In London, Met police have been analysing all World Cup fixtures to anticipate potential clashes between rival supporters. Last year there was a minor outbreak of violence in the Edgware Road area after Algeria defeated Egypt in a qualifying game.

However, senior officers say their main concern is the evening games involving England. Police will be on high alert if England are knocked out of the tournament, and if the team meets Germany in the second round.

The Met has been working with local boroughs to identify problem pubs and clubs, and premises have been warned they face closure if trouble breaks out. But Commander Bob Broadhurst, who is in charge of the anti-hooligan operation, said: "There is no intelligence that we will get anything other than spontaneous incidents."

The Met says there has been an increase in football violence in London in the past 12 months, with 15 "large scale fights". A West Ham-Millwall fixture last August ended in rioting.