Football hooligans are being ordered by police to hand in their passports so they don't sneak off to the World Cup
- 132 London-based soccer fans are banned from traveling to Russia for the upcoming 2018 FIFA World Cup.
- This is because they have been slapped with "football banning orders" which are convictions given to soccer fans who have a history of sports-related violence or disorder.
- If these fans refuse to surrender their passports they can expect a police visit in the coming days.
London's Metropolitan Police has told football hooligans that they risk arrest if they do not surrender their passports.
There are currently 132 soccer fans in London who have a "football banning order." These are given to fans when they have been convicted of soccer-related violence or disorder, and bans them from attending games.
According to police, this ban extends to attendance for the upcoming 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
A police statement read: "Fans subject to banning orders who do not surrender their passports will be pursued by police and are liable to arrest if they fail to comply."
Police will also be stationed at Heathrow Airport to "monitor supporters travelling to Russia for the World Cup."
Sergeant Dave Hine of the Met's Football Unit said: "We want to ensure that no fan who is subject to a football banning order is able to travel through Heathrow airport to the World Cup to watch England.
"Anyone with a banning order who fails to hand their passport in during the next couple of days will have a police officer knocking on their door."
The 2018 FIFA World Cup begins on June 14. England is not in action until June 18, when it takes on Tunisia in its first group game.