THE football World Cup should be a festival of fun; a pulsating, uplifting, inspiring sporting extravaganza which will enthral millions around the globe.

In Plymouth, thousands of people – avid fans and those simply caught up in the excitement – will be following the matches in South Africa with interest.

Those pubs and clubs across the city which screen games, particularly England's matches, will be packed with customers savouring every second of the tournament; cheering on their favourites and generating a fantastic buzz.

The overwhelming majority of drinkers will simply want to enjoy this feast of football, experiencing the range of emotions which "the beautiful game" can evoke and making the most of the month-long fiesta which will light up the summer.

But sadly, not everyone will be in carnival mood. Police are already on alert for right wing activists and racists who they fear may try to use the World Cup as a vehicle for their activities.

At the city's latest Clubwatch meeting, Inspector Gary Neeves asked pub and club staff to make police aware of any racist activity in the run-up to the tournament. He said: "If you are aware of right wing or racist activities around the World Cup, we need to know as early as possible. The earlier we get to know about it, the earlier we can deal with it and respond accordingly."

We hope everyone, not just those in the licensed trade, takes heed. There is no place in Plymouth, or anywhere else, for the kind of behaviour police fear could mar this event.

Let's ensure that Plymouth enjoys this global fiesta to the maximum – safely, in harmony and in a spirit of sportsmanship.