PORTUGAL'S A NO-GO AREA FOR HOOLIGANS 09:30 - 28 February 2004 More than 100 Derbyshire football hooligans will be banned from travelling to this summer's European Championships in Portugal. Last June, Derbyshire police set up Operation Cabby to target football hooliganism and, since then, the number of people banned from attending matches at home or abroad has increased by 35 per cent to 80. Police also have a further 23 football banning orders currently going through the courts, which are expected to be in place when the tournament starts on June 12. In Nottinghamshire, 41 people are subject to banning orders and, in Leicestershire, 34 people are banned from matches. Police are hailing Operation Cabby as a success and said that it has improved safety at matches, which means that they can reduce the number of officers at games who can then be deployed elsewhere. Sergeant John Turner, head of the operation, said: "The increase in banning orders has been as a result of more funding, which has enabled officers to proactively pursue banning orders. Officers are also making better use of the legislation introduced in 2000 - we've had a year-on-year increase since then. "Without a doubt, this is having a positive affect on safety at football matches." Forty-six of the 80 fans currently banned are from Derby and the rest from Derbyshire. They are all either Derby County or Chesterfield "fans". Police want to avoid a repeat of Euro 2000, when hundreds of England fans rioted in Belgium. It was after this that banning orders were created. Damon Parkin, Derby County spokesman, said: "We've liaised with Derbyshire police to identify those so-called supporters who we believe shouldn't travel to Portugal. "We'll continue to work with the authorities to protect the welfare and reputation of genuine fans, Derby County and English football." There are two ways of imposing a football banning order. One is by criminal conviction after an offender is caught breaking the law at a football match, through violence, foul language or ticket touting. The other is by a civil complaint when the police apply for the order through the civil courts based on intelligence that they suspect an individual might be intending to cause trouble. Undercover operation to root out thugs Operation Cabby uses undercover police officers to root out trouble-makers at Derbyshire football matches. Three Derbyshire police officers are involved in the operation. They attend all Derby County and Chesterfield home and away matches to gather intelligence ahead of the European Championships. Sergeant John Turner said: "The Home Office allocated £5m for forces around the country to bid for and we have a share of that." One of the operation's biggest achievements so far was the arrest of 12 football hooligans believed to be waiting to "graduate" to the notorious "Derby Lunatic Fringe" after Derby County's away match against Walsall last September. All 12 were served with three-year banning orders at Walsall Magistrates' Court.