Camper vans are most often associated with retired holidaymakers enjoying a cup of hot chocolate or Australians touring Britain.

But a new type of enthusiast is taking the caravaning industry in Oxfordshire by storm the football fan.

One company says it is turning away up to six fans a day who want to rent a motorhome for the World Cup in Germany in June.

Peter Maynard, of Elite Motorhomes, in Middleton Cheney, near Banbury, said: "It's just manic, really. We probably get four, five, six people a day saying 'have you got anything for the World Cup?'. They tend to be all youngish lads."

Elite's fleet of 37 motorhomes is fully booked for June, and has been for the past month.

Mr Maynard said: "In June, there's also the Grand Prix at Silverstone and the middle weekend is Le Mans. There's just a huge amount of pressure on that month.

"It's quite busy. It's good for us, but it depends on how they come back if they come back smashed to bits, it won't be good."

He added he could understand why football fans were so keen on hiring motorhomes or campervans for the event.

He said: "I would imagine there's a shortage of hotels. It's convenient as well. With a motorhome, you just jump in and go. With six people in a motorhome for £990 per week, it's going to be cheaper too."

England fan Christian Jones, 27, of Avon Crescent, Bicester, has just bought a Mitsubishi van to take him to Germany.

He said: "Basically I wanted to go to the World Cup. I thought it would be nice to have everything in one place. I'm going to take out the seats and put a bed in the back."

Mr Jones plans to visit Holland, France, Spain and Switzerland before arriving in Baden Baden, the England team's base.

He said: "I haven't got any tickets for any games yet. They're putting up big screens everywhere and I will soak up the atmosphere.

"If we do get to the final, I will sell the van and whatever else I have got and try to get tickets.

Mr Jones, an alarm fitter, bought the 14-year-old van on an Internet auction site for £1,700.

He added: "I have done some work to it. Touch wood, it should serve me well."