PEOPLE are being urged to behave responsibly as World Cup fever spreads.

Football fans are expected to pack pubs, clubs and Weymouth Pavilion this weekend to mark the start of the ‘greatest show on earth.’ The first England match takes place tomorrow night and both Dorset Police and South Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust are putting on extra staff in preparation.

A spokesman for the ambulance service said: “With England’s World Cup bid underway shortly, there is likely to be additional demands placed on South Western Ambulance Service’s resources and the trust has made preparations for this.

“We urge supporters to drink responsibly and stay safe while enjoying the matches.”

Staff at Weymouth’s pubs have decorated premises with England flags and in some cases, had additional screens installed.

Zina French, manager of The Clipper in Weymouth, said they had a whole floor dedicated to sport, with one big screen and four smaller screens, where the matches would be shown.

She said: “This Saturday’s event with £5 tickets, including burger and a beer, has almost sold out.

“We’ve got flags out and plastic bottles and glasses but we’re not expecting any trouble – we’ve taken a lot of pre-bookings and it should be a good atmosphere.

Jamie Crage, assistant manager at The Rendezvous, said they had just installed two 50-inch plasma screens, to create a total of 11 plasma screens and four big projector screens.

“We’ve got promotions, giveaways and we’ve got in extra security staff for the weekend.

“Everyone’s going to be in high spirits, everyone wants to come out and support the country and we want the best atmosphere possible.”

Weymouth’s Pavilion Theatre spokesman Nicky Jenkins said they were looking forward to an ‘amazing atmosphere’ for their first sell-out event tomorrow.

She said: “We’ve got 400 supporters coming to celebrate, we’re expecting an amazing atmosphere.

“We’ve shown the last three World Cup matches here and we’ve never had any problems.

“Our big screen in the Ocean Room – about 20ft by 15ft – is the biggest one in the area, as far as we know.

“We’ve committed to showing all the England games so fingers crossed we’ll be showing them all the way to the final.”

She added: “There’s the bar open and basket meals available.

“Tickets cost £2 each and that was just to cover the cost of security staff and to ensure the building doesn’t run at a loss.

“There’s something uplifting about 400 people all cheering, even if you’re not a football fan.”

Acting Inspector Neil Wood, in charge of Weymouth and Portland police, said: “The policing for the World Cup will be proportionate and intelligence led, additional officers will be on patrol with a focus upon town centres at times of key matches.

“Our priority is to ensure that all people wishing to celebrate the tournament can do so in a safe environment.

“We have provided advice to the local authority and landlords about steps that they can take to help and ensure the event is as safe and fun as possible.”