£300m bets set to break all records

Football fans have sparked a betting frenzy on Euro 2004 with British bookmakers set for a record-breaking summer.

The biggest bet so far on this summer's soccer championship is £50,000, placed by a Midlands flower merchant on Spain to win at 7-1. The highest stake placed on David Beckham's team to emerge victorious is £500, also at 7-1.

Host Portugal has attracted some heavy betting. At odds of 13-2 and in third place behind France and Italy, one punter has placed ?20,000 on the Portuguese.

Among the more unusual bets are: Colour of David James's hair during England v France: blond 4/7, brown 6/4, red 10/1. Wayne Rooney to miss any game due to sunburn: 66/1. Sven-Goran Eriksson to pop the question to Nancy Dell'Olio: 100/1.

"The world is passionate about football and that's coming through strongly for us," added Mr Hood. "Also it is the increasing ease of placing bets over the internet. We expect at least ?100 million of the total to be placed via the internet."