Hooligans will lose benefits

Arrested fans face more trouble, warns Darling

Unemployed football fans arrested at Euro 2000 will lose their welfare benefits, the Government has warned.

Social Security Secretary Alistair Darling issued the threat ahead of an anti-fraud summit in Whitehall.

He told the Independent on Sunday newspaper that unemployed fans who are traced to Euro 2000 will lose their Income Support and Job Seekers Allowance if they cannot prove they are seeking work.

Mr Darling said: "If you manage to get over there to see Euro 2000 matches, we will find out about it. You will lose benefit because you have broken the rules.

"If you are languishing in the cells, you are not available for work."

The public are being urged to identify anyone breaking the rules by contacting the social security fraud hotline, or disclosing names on the government's anti-fraud website.

Some estimates put the number of England fans in Holland and Belgium for Euro 2000 at up to 20,000.