World Cup domestic violence warning

The Home Office and The Association of Chief Police Officers are warning football supporters of harsh consequences if their World Cup celebrations turn sour.

From now until mid July, a poster and online advertising campaign will be used to communicate important messages about domestic violence to men aged 18 to 35.

All advertising will direct men to the Respect website and phone helpline for advice and support (0808 802 4040).

Posters will be displayed in male toilets in England and online adverts will be shown around football content during the World Cup 2014 competition.

Meanwhile, the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) is also warning of the threat of increased domestic violence during England's World Cup campaign.

Acpo has written to all forces in England and Wales to ask them to highlight the problem to officers and detail their plans for dealing with it.

Deputy Chief Constable Carmel Napier, Acpo lead on domestic abuse, said: "There is no excuse for domestic violence and perpetrators must be clear that the World Cup does not give them any justification for partaking in abusive behaviour."

She added: "People sometimes say of victims, 'If it happened to me I would leave, so why don't they?' Our experience shows that in many cases victims can't get away from their perpetrator or are too frightened to."

DCC Napier advised people who were worried that they could be at risk of violence once the World Cup starts to contact the police or victim support services in advance.

During the 2006 World Cup held in Germany, Home Office data showed a 31% rise in domestic violence reports on the day of England's 1-0 victory over Paraguay.

On the day of England's exit from the tournament, beaten on penalties by Portugal, reports increased by just over 30%.

On average there was a 25% rise in domestic violence reports on the days of England games, with one in four offenders found to be under the influence of alcohol.