Police have been given £10,000 to prevent drink-fuelled violence across the county when World Cup fever grips the county.

The Home Office cash will be used to stop drunken yobs and clamp down on underage drinking in Oxford city centre.

It could also be used to fund similar operations in other parts of Oxfordshire.

Insp Graham Sutherland, of the city centre police unit, said: "I'll be taking a similar approach to the one we took over Christmas and New Year."

Operation Borracho (Spanish for drunkard) was carried out on Friday and Saturday nights, from mid-November to the New Year.

It involved 12 officers patrolling the city centre and police said their presence prevented many incidents becoming more serious.

Insp Sutherland said: "We will be setting the tone in the city prior to the World Cup and the summer, identifying what is and isn't acceptable behaviour.

"The new operation started yesterday and goes through to June 8. We'll be putting extra officers on the streets on some Thursdays, and on Friday and Saturday nights.

"We'll do licensing checks and test purchasing, and officers will be attending a Pubwatch meeting."

Test purchasing involves sending teenagers into bars to see if staff will serve them, without asking for identification.

Pubwatch is a group of 62 publicans and focuses on issues affecting pubs, clubs and bars in Oxford.

Insp Sutherland said: "It's my desire to have a sergeant and 10 officers on Fridays and Saturdays and I think I can achieve that."

Normally there can be as few as four officers and a sergeant in the city centre on Friday and Saturday nights.

Insp Sutherland said: "I am also looking at putting dedicated units in Cowley Road and Little Clarendon Street, in the entertainment areas close to the city centre.

"What we want to do is deal with problem behaviour sensitively. We want people to enjoy themselves.

"We will also be dealing with underage drunks we come across more robustly than we have done in the past.

"We have powers to issue them with fixed penalty tickets and bring them into custody under arrest, then get parents to come and collect them.

"The money has been allocated for the whole county, so if inspectors in other areas approach me, I can give them some of it for similar operations."