Known and suspected football thugs have been barred from flying to tonight's Holland-England match in a clampdown at Gatwick.

Three men appeared in court yesterday as a result of the operation by Sussex Police's football intelligence unit and Gatwick officers.

The three were made the subject of football exclusion orders, banning them from visiting UK grounds, and ordered to surrender their passports before future international games.

More exclusion orders were expected today.

The three who appeared before a special sitting of Crawley magistrates late yesterday were John Barnes, 37, a driver from Plymouth, and Daren Channing, 29, and Scot Kelly, 21, from Exeter.

They were ordered to surrender their passports before future England away internationals and other overseas games and report to local police stations to ensure they do not leave the country.

Applying for the orders on behalf of Sussex Police, Paul Trott said the men all had convictions for violence and public disorder in the past four years.

Channing also had a conviction for possessing a prohibited weapon - a can of CS gas - and had been involved in a confrontation with rival supporters after an Exeter City game, he said.

PC Nicholas Dimmer, based at Brighton with the football intelligence unit, said Gatwick and other airports and ports were the focus of a big anti-hooligan operation in the build-up to the match.

The detentions were made at Gatwick after checks using the police national computer.

All three said they were attending the England game and had pre-booked flights and accommodation.

Plymouth Argyle supporter Barnes was banned for two years. Exeter City supporters Channing and Kelly, who did not appear in court, were each banned for three years.