Press Complaints Commission chairman Lord Wakeham yesterday appealed to newspapers not to incite violence or disorder during the World Cup.
''We want to have robust reporting of the World Cup and we don't mind people being partisan - of course not, we want British teams to win,'' he said.
''But I don't want any news-papers inadvertently, or in any other way, inciting fans to violence and to cause trouble. I thought a warning was the right thing to do.''
He spoke out after the Commission ruled that the Daily Star had not broken the code of practice with its headline Frogs Need A Good Kicking. The newspaper ran the headline in March amid criticism that the French failed to allocate enough tickets to English fans.
Some newspapers also attracted complaints during the Euro 96 football championships when they used wartime references.
Yesterday the editor of Sun, Stuart Higgins, said his aim during the World Cup was to back the players from the Scotland and England teams.
''Nobody from the newspaper world wants to see any violence in France,'' Mr Higgins said. ''It can only detract from England's and Scotland's efforts as we get to the later stages of the World Cup.''
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