Manchester Airport is being patrolled by hooligan 'spotters' for the next four weeks

Police hooligan 'spotters' are patrolling Manchester Airport as part of huge operation in England and in Germany to prevent trouble at Euro 2024.

With the festival of football due to kick off in Munich at 8pm tonight (Friday) when hosts Germany take on Scotland, specialist football intelligence officers at Greater Manchester Police began Operation Airborne to prevent trouble during tournament. Already almost all the 152 fans in Greater Manchester who are subjected to football banning orders have surrendered their passports for the duration of the competition, which ends with the final in Berlin on July 14.

A small contingent from GMP is already in Germany to assist local police in preventing violence. England, among the favourites to win, play their first match against Serbia in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday night.

READ MORE: Man who shot dead his half-brother Zikel Bobmanuel in the street jailed for life

Today (Friday) dozens of Scotland fans were flying out to Germany from Manchester, among them pals Conor Murtagh, 20, from Liverpool, and Luke Nolan, 26, from Glasgow who were flying to Berlin. They pair unfurled a Scotland flag featuring the face of John McGinn in Terminal 3.

"I'm buzzing for it. It's the first time we have been to a tournament with Scotland. It's a new experience for all of us," said Conor, who admitted that 'of course' the experience would be drunken. "I think there will be high spirits," said Conor who has not yet managed to obtain any tickets. His friend Luke Nolan, who has got tickets, said 'getting out of the group' was his ambition.

Detective Sergeant Neil McQueen, who is heading GMP's football operation at the airport, and his officers will be on patrol at all three terminals during the tournament, watching out for known hooligans and with the power to stop fans they believe are intent on trouble under the Football Spectators Act.

His officers have already visited four fans subject to football banning orders who failed to surrender their passports ahead of the tournament as required. They are set to be prosecuted for breaching the orders.

DS McQueen told the Manchester Evening News: "It's kind of a two-fold operation. The first part of it is engagement and reassurance. You have a mass of football supporters travelling out with holiday-makers. We're providing them with travel advice and words of wisdom for football fans travelling out about how they should behave.

"It's common sense really. It's about handling alcohol and not drinking too much and not to travel unless you have a ticket. And to respect the different cultures abroad and to work with the German authorities.

"The second part is the prevention of travel of anybody we feel may cause or contribute to violence or disorder abroad." Under the Football Spectators Act, officers have the power to prevent someone travelling and to seize their passport officers believe they could be intent on trouble, he said.

Asked what advice he would give to fans heading to the tournament, he said: "Go to Germany and really enjoy the tournament. It should be a really positive thing for everybody who travels but you just need to be conscious you are representing England or Scotland and your behaviour is visible for everybody to see."

He said given the history of England fans abroad that 'realistically' there would be some disorder, but he said fan behaviour had improved markedly since the 1980s.

On England matchdays, GMP will launch Operation Champ in the city and town centres across Greater Manchester, with extra patrols on the ground, to prevent disorder.