A senior police officer will be appointed as gold commander during the World Cup by Herts Constabulary, presiding over the force's operations during match days.

"Specific plans" will be devised game by game, with much depending on how well England and other home nations perform, according to the chief constable.

The World Cup will be held from June 11 to July 19 at locations across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

In Hertfordshire, live screenings of matches will take place across the county, in both pub sessions and outdoor parties and marquees.

Chief Constable Andy Prophet was asked about planning around the World Cup by Police and Crime Commissioner Jonathan Ash-Edwards during their monthly accountability and performance meeting.

The PCC said: "Obviously, it will be a busy time in policing in terms of people cheering the national sides on, what planning and preparations is the constabulary undertaking for that period? dividand.

"And what are the key issues you're anticipating could potentially arise during the tournament?"

The chief constable responded: "A lot of planning and preparation, commissioner, is the answer as you rightly say… I'm sure we hope our teams go all the way through to the final, but we will see how that goes.

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"Hertfordshire Constabulary, under the name of Operation Advancement, is putting an awful lot of work into this.

"Internally, in terms of what we do in the police, I've got a senior officer who will be our gold commander who plans this activity, and he has a number of other individuals who work with him.

"So, when are the games that are going to most affect us? Where are the places that people are most likely to be watching football? Towns, pubs, clubs, and let's get the police wrapped around that.

"We work really, really carefully with our partners, so the licence premises and trade… to make sure [there is] the presence of a preventative, supportive kind of wrap-around.

"That is important because what do we want? We want people to enjoy the World Cup, support their team, but do it in a sensible, grown-up way. Not drink themselves to death, not become violent or disorderly, as we know can happen.

"So we're here to prevent that but encourage people to behave in the right way.

"Sadly, what we do see… is during these sorts of events, we do see spikes in domestic abuse, probably largely associated with excessive drinking or emotion connected to the outcome of football games, which in no way excuses the violence that then happens.

"More violence and disorder in the streets, sometimes an increase in hate crime, we are watching as well. So, those are the things that we'll be watching incredibly carefully. We'll be out there working hard to prevent."

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The PCC asked about the impact on nightlife and other leisure businesses, with time differences meaning matches will be screened late into the evenings and nights.

The chief constable said: "Obviously, we will look at the kind of home nation fixtures… some of those will depend on how our home nations do through the tournament. We will, game by game, that's known or will develop, plan for each one of them.

"If, for example, England get to the late stages of the World Cup, and that's a late kick-off, we will put specific plans in place around that, expecting to see places in Hertfordshire busy with supporters, hopefully socialising in a safe way but enjoying the game.

"So, we'll plan around each eventuality."