DON’T even try it.

That’s the no-nonsense message from police to football hooligans wanting to head to South Africa to cause trouble during the World Cup.

From today, officers will be on patrol at Southampton Airport looking out for potential troublemakers trying to leave the country during the month-long tournament, which kicks off on Friday.

Police are allowed to stop anyone from travelling who they suspect might be intent on getting involved in football violence.

They have already seized the passports of 150 Hampshire-based fans who have football banning orders (FBOs).

Of those, 31 are Saints fans, including the first two fans to be sentenced over trouble that flared after the club’s FA Cup derby match with Pompey earlier this year. Portsmouth has 95 fans with banning orders.

Although they were all required to hand over their passports at the start of the month, if anyone with an FBO is spotted attempting to leave the country they will be stopped.

Officers will also be looking for anyone wanted on warrant and those with public order convictions.

Anyone convicted of breaching an FBO can be jailed for up to six months and fined up to £5,000.

During the last World Cup in 2006, more than 200 people were spoken to while police carried out detailed checks. There were 36 breaches of the 164 FBOs in place at the time, either when individuals failed to surrender their passports or sign in with police on days England played.

Superintendent Rick Burrows, one of the officers leading the operation, said patrols would also be stepped up across the county when England play.

He said: “We are not aiming to be kill-joys, our simple aim is to stop people who we know are trouble-makers from travelling to the games and spoiling the tournament for others.

“This operation is designed to complement the banning order handing-in system, to ensure that football violence is not transported abroad.

“There is a very small minority of people who take part in football related violence, causing a risk to the safety of the vast majority of law abiding supporters. We are determined to stop that small element spoiling the party.”