Police tape. Pic: Freefoto.com

Police officers are set to step up their presence in Lichfield as fans flock to the city’s pubs to watch England’s Euro 2012 opener.

The big match between Roy Hodgson’s men and France kicks off at 5pm this afternoon (June 11) and fans are being urged to stay safe.

Staffordshire Police’s Assistant Chief Constable Julian Blazeby said: “We want the atmosphere in our town and city centres to be good-natured throughout Euro 2012.

“Our approach will be fair, friendly but firm where necessary. Where the law is broken, we will take a hard line on offenders. We work closely with licensees, councils and other agencies to tackle alcohol-related violence and anti-social behaviour through Operation Safer Nights, which will continue through Euro 2012 and beyond.

“Residents and town centre visitors can be re-assured that there will be high-visibility patrols on match days and enough officers to deal with any problems. We’ll also be targeting domestic abuse during the tournament and will be monitoring repeat offenders and victims.

“We want Euro 2012 to be a safe and enjoyable experience for all our communities, and are urging everyone to play their part to help us reach that goal.”

Founder of Lichfield Live and editor of the site.