Dutch police use Internet to trap hooligans

Police in Holland have used an Internet site to help round up the names of possible football hooligans.

Reporters were told of the operation in Amsterdam today as the Dutch police unveiled their 'United Hooligans of Holland' web site which has been used to collect information such as names and plans used by the hooligan groups who are looking to disrupt the European Championships next summer.

Eight hundred fans were used in a mock riot organism by police last Saturday to test crowd control tactics but the test was abandoned when hard core Feyenoord fans used the practice to attack police in Rotterdam. The bungled rehearsal riot has been mocked in the press across Europe but the Dutch police have responded with their new sophisticated tool in the fight against the hooligans in Holland.

Fans were asked to sign on at the hooligan site which claimed to be looking for the 'greatest hooligan in Holland' and the 200 people who responded with details are now facing police investigations which could link them to real hooligan attacks.