Thug barred from following England

A football hooligan has been banned from following England abroad and barred from soccer grounds for two and a half years after police took out a civil action against him.

Jordan Sanderson, 22, was ordered to surrender his passport when England play abroad and told a holiday he booked in Portugal for the Euro 2004 championships must be cancelled.

South Yorkshire Police pursued a ban through the civil courts because the burden of proof is lower than in a criminal case. They claimed Sanderson, from Sheffield, was a leader of organised football violence and had been involved in nine clashes this season.

Sheffield magistrates heard he had previous convictions for kicking and punching a man in the face and head during a robbery and was once cautioned for taking part in an assault.

Banning Sanderson from all organised football matches, District Judge David Fletcher said sweeping legislation would be applied to him and all other soccer hooligans whose activities were a "cancer" in the national game.