The Home Secretary Jack Straw announced the new crackdown after touring the headquarters of the football unit of the National Criminal Intelligence Service.

Home Secretary Jack Straw describing his determination to beat the hooligans

He revealed the the UK and France had signed a bilateral agreement, which came into force on June 1, allowing the double prosecutions to go ahead.

"Those who commit offences will be dealt with effectively both by the courts in France and the courts here," Mr Straw said.

Fans will be fenced in

The Home Secretary also announced that several more hooligans have been made the subject of restriction orders.

These require football fans convicted of violent offences to report to police stations in England and Wales when their national teams are playing important matches abroad.

"I am very pleased that since I launched the initiative in December, the number of restriction orders has increased from nine to 65," Mr Straw said.

World Cup organisers want to avoid a repeat of scenes like this in Rome

"I also understand there are more in the pipeline. This gives out a clear message to the hooligan that we can and will do something about their criminal activity."

He also urged fans with information about planned hooligan activity to contact the Hooligan Hotline, based at NCIS headquarters in London on 0800 515 495.

The hotline has already received more than 200 calls since it was relaunched in February for the World Cup.

Detective Inspector Peter Chapman: "I've been working towards the World Cup ever since Euro 96 finished"

"We will provide the French with the very best intelligence we can to help disrupt the activities of any British football hooligans," said Detective Inspector Peter Chapman, head of the NCIS football unit.

"We've already accumulated a great deal of quality intelligence about the plans of British fans visiting the World Cup. Much of this has come from the public who are sick to the back teeth of the few mindless yobs who shame this country wherever they go."

Mr Chapman said it was "a fact of life" that certain undesirable elements would go to France.