A FOOTBALL hooligan has been given a two-year ban from watching the sport in a landmark case for Kent. Scott Kavanagh, 27, become the first person in the county to receive a football banning order in a civil action Maidstone Magistrates Court.

Kavanagh, of Millbrook, Leybourne, near West Malling, is banned from watching league or cup matches in England and Wales until February 25, 2004 - although it will not apply in Scotland which has separate laws.

He will also have to hand over his passport to police whenever England play abroad as part of the ruling, which was made under the Football Disorder Act 2000.

The ruling was made under a section of the act which dealt with people who were known to have caused trouble around football grounds, rather than at a match itself.

The magistrates heard that Kavanagh - who has been medically diagnosed as schizophrenic and was too ill to attend court - was often connected to football-related violence, including a brawl at Bromley South railway station in November on a day when Gillingham were playing Millwall.

Paul Mee, prosecuting for Kent County Constabulary, said: "He does have a past where he has shown violence in public. These orders can be made when the respondent has at some time contributed to violence or disorder and it is believed, on the balance of probability, that making a banning order would be likely to prevent violence or disorder at regulated football matches."

The ban was unopposed by Jag Takk, defence counsel for Kavanagh. Banning orders are made at the request of Kent Police's Football Unit, which is based at Medway Police because much of its work surrounds Gillingham Football Club.

Sgt Matt Jones, of the Football Unit, said: "Kent Police take football related disorder very seriously and have one of the largest operations in the country to deal with this type of offence.

"Banning orders are an effective and important part of preventing disorder at football matches and protecting the safety of genuine supporters."