ONE of the North-East's most notorious football hooligans has escaped a ban preventing him from travelling to the World Cup, The Northern Echo can reveal.

The news comes less than a month before the start of the tournament, and potentially raises fears that many other violent trouble-makers will also slip through the net.

Lee Owens was thrust into the national spotlight when he was arrested by Belgian riot police amid running battles during the Euro 2000 tournament.

He was pictured, belly exposed, and later deported back to the UK, although never charged with an offence.

Owens, from Stockton, was banned for a year in 1994 from all English grounds and has past convictions for assault and criminal damage.

Despite his record, Cleveland Police have confirmed he has not been banned from next month's World Cup in Japan and South Korea

His details may still be passed to the authorities in the Far East along with other potential troublemakers considered a risk to public order.

Middlesbrough fan Owens was a member of the now defunct Stockton Wrecking Crew, a violent gang whose tactics included trashing pubs and looting cigarette machines.

Forty-five hooligans in the region are subject to joint domestic and international banning orders under the Football Disorder Act 2000.

These comprise 16 in Sunderland, 15 in the Cleveland area, eight in Newcastle and six in Darlington.

Up to 1,100 orders will be in place nationally by the time the World Cup begins.

Banning orders require troublemakers to report to police stations and surrender their passports before a game.

They are only imposed by magistrates on conviction or following a complaint by police and can run up to a maximum of ten years.

A Cleveland Police spokeswoman refused to comment in detail on Lee Owens' case.

But Lord MacKenzie, of Framwellgate, a former president of the Police Superintendents Association, said: "People are heartily sick of football hooliganism and the only way to treat it is to get people in the system and use the legislation available.

"The minority of people who disrupt the sport and indulge in mindless tribalism have to be stopped."

Despite the huge cost involved in travelling to Japan and South Korea for the World Cup, it is thought a hard core of convicted hooligans may still travel for England's first game on June 2.

Kevin Miles, international co-ordinator with the Football Supporters Association, said police now had unprecedented powers to stop individuals from travelling, but urged caution. He said: "Most football fans would be happy to see trouble makers excluded from travelling if there is sufficient evidence against them.

"If there is not, they should be like everyone else - innocent until proven guilty."

A Home Office spokeswoman said that intelligence was being shared on fans not subject to banning orders and entry applications would be dealt with by the Japanese on a case-by-case basis.

l Police investigating the violence which erupted after Thursday's Millwall v Birmingham City match last night charged three men, including a stockbroker, with violent disorder