A football fan from Chatham is among 28 from Kent who must surrender their passports ahead of Euro 2012.

The Football Banning Orders Authority will demand that Kent's 28 residents who are subject to a Football Banning Order (FBO) surrender their passports from today.

This is in preparation for the UEFA Euro 2012 tournament, hosted jointly in Poland and the Ukraine, that starts on June 8 and ends on July 1.

Those with FBOs have two days to submit their passports - if they don't Kent Police will arrest them and offenders face prosecution.

The move is part of a nationwide operation, co-ordinated by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), to reduce the impact that the tournament may have both in the UK and overseas.

Gary Rimmer, of Pheasant Road, Chatham, became the first person in Kent to receive an FBO since a new specialist unit was established within Kent Police to tackle football related crime.

The 35-year-old Gillingham fan was banned in February from attending any football match in Kent, the rest of the country and overseas for the next three years. The ban extends to all matches from the Blue Square South League (top level of non league competition) upwards.

He also received an 18 month community order and an 18 month supervision order after being found guilty at Medway Magistrates' Court of assaulting two stewards Priestfield Stadium in October 2011.

The unit, which comprises specially trained officers, was formed last July after a change in the law that meant 'regulated games' included non-league football matches.

Football banning orders are a preventative measure designed to stop potential troublemakers from travelling to and attending football matches, both at home and abroad. Anyone who commits a football related offence at one of these stadiums can be arrested and an FBO applied for.

Chief Inspector Bryan Whittaker said: "We have developed a strong record of effective policing of football matches and that includes using Football Banning Orders where necessary.

"They are a significant tool for police and the courts in preventing or reducing football related violence and disorder.

"Banning orders work. About 92 percent of people whose orders have expired since 2000 are assessed by police as no longer posing a risk of football disorder. And the rate of passport surrender is even higher. During the World Cup 2010, 98 percent of people with FBOs complied.

"Most football fans are good natured and genuinely want to support their team. They should be able to do that without being subjected to offensive and criminal behaviour."