FOOTBALL fans have been told to be on their best behaviour ahead of a crunch England fixture and avoid a repeat of World Cup chaos which marred last summer.

Essex Police have been working alongside licensed premises in the run up to the UEFA Nations League semi-final game against the Netherlands on Thursday night.

During the Three Lions' run to the last four of the World Cup last summer, hundreds of fans spilled out onto Head Street in Colchester town centre at the end of every fixture.

The celebrations were mostly good natured, but spilled over into disorder after the 2-0 quarter final victory against Sweden when a bus shelter was destroyed by revellers.

Ugly scenes have also emerged from Portugal where the tournament is being held of England fans clashing with riot police.

Chief Insp Ronnie Egan has been working with bars and pubs ahead of the game.

He said: "Sport is a way of bringing everyone together and we know that most people's aim is to enjoy the football and we've been working with our licensed businesses and other partners to remind them of their responsibility to put measures in place to prevent and manage anti-social behaviour.

"This includes having enough staff to cope with demand including the appropriate number of security staff, serving drinks to customers responsibly, using plastic glasses and not allowing more people in a premises than it has capacity for."

He also urged fans to take responsibility for their own behaviour.

He added: "Fans need to be mindful of their alcohol limits. It's easy to drink too much too quickly and this can often lead to alcohol related disorder or violence or simply putting themselves or others in danger.

"We will have additional officers on patrol in our popular night-time hotspots and will not tolerate anyone involved in violence or disorder and will take action against those who are.

"This is not about stopping people from having fun. We want people to go out in good spirits, full of optimism that England can reach the final of the competition and ultimately for fans of all ages to watch the game in a safe and enjoyable environment."

Anyone with information about disorder or incidents is asked to call 101 or report online at essex.police.uk/do-it-online.

Alternatively contact Crimestoppers or in an emergency always dial 999.