STRESSED-OUT soccer fans will turn violent on their family when the pressure of the World Cup gets too much for them this summer, police warned today.

A combination of high emotions, alcohol and relatives coming together to watch matches is expected to create a rise in the number of assaults reported to police.

Now Lancashire Police's specialist domestic violence officers are to meet to discuss what can be done to prevent violence in the home during the event, which takes place in Japan and South Korea in May and June.

Det Insp Joyce Green, Lancashire Police's Domestic Violence Co-ordinator, said she was basing predictions of a rise on past increases which have occurred during major sporting events.

Figures for domestic violence during football's European Championships in 2000 show that in Eastern Division, covering Blackburn, Hyndburn and the Ribble Valley there were 194 reported incidents in June when the tournament was being held and 149 in July when it had finished.

For Pennine Division, covering Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale the figures were 287 incidents during the tournament and 202 for the month after.

Det Insp Green said: "We are likely to see a rise in the reports of domestic violence at the time of the World Cup this summer as we do for any big sporting event and during holiday times like Christmas and the summer.

"I'm sure emotions will be running high during the competition and that combined with the amount of alcohol people are likely to be consuming is a potent cocktail.

"There will also be tension between relatives because of people wanting to watch as much football as they can." Many of the matches will be televised live in this country during the morning or early afternoon but highlights programmes later in the day will mean people will have almost round-the-clock access to football.

Police believe that domestic tension caused by the continuous flow of soccer will also cause rows, with football-hating partners getting sick of the games dominating home life.

From April 1999 to March 2000 there were 16,683 incidents of domestic violence in Lancashire.

That compares to 16,909 in the same period from 2000-2001 and police believe the numbers reported to them may be only a fraction of the true total.

Nationally an estimated six million incidents were reported last year and domestic violence was believed to be related to 43 per cent of all murders.

According to the British Crime Survey the six million reported incidents are only 12-20 per cent of actual cases, though increased awareness that domestic violence is a crime and increased confidence among victims that reports will be taken seriously have led to a rise in the number of reports of assaults in the home.

Co-ordinator of the Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Outreach Project, Marie Smith said: "People certainly tend to go out drinking more in the summer, especially when the weather is good and the fact that the World Cup is on is only likely to make that worse.

"Anybody who is worried about violence in the home should try to plan ahead and can always contact police or either ourselves on 01254 879855 or the Blackburn with Darwen Women's Aid Foundation on 01254 260465."

The Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Domestic Outreach Project, a domestic violence help group, offers the following advice for anyone worried about domestic violence during this summer's tournament.

Try to plan ahead and save some money in case of emergency

Pack some clothes and essentials

If you need to leave home take all personal papers and a set of keys to the house

Do not leave children in the home with a violent partner

Report violence to police or to the outreach project on 01254 879855 or Blackburn with Darwen Women's Aid Foundation on 01254 260465 or police on 01254 51212.