Lot 49

World Cup hooligans face police 'spidergun'

Any hooligans causing trouble at the 2002 World Cup soccer tournament in Japan and Korea may find themselves trapped by police using a net-launching gun, currently on test. Police in Sapporo, in Hokkaido region, North Japan, are currently testing a gun that entangles assailants in a five-metre square net so that they can be restrained more effectively. The city will host a match between England and Argentina on 7 June, which is considered a high risk for street violence.