FOOTBALL fans will be served up early pints after 15 bars in Swindon won permission to open for the World Cup.

Many will mark England's game against Nigeria with a 7am breakfast.

The ruling was made by Swindon licensing magistrates and now opens the way for scores of pubs across the town to open up for England's cup campaign.

One of those who won backing for the early opening hours was Helen Griffiths of the Village Inn at Ramleaze in West Swindon.

She and her fellow publicans took advantage of a licensing ruling last month in favour of a Bristol pub, which set a legal precedent.

It means normal hours will be extended to begin 30 minutes before match kick-off times.

Doors will be unlocked early for the England game against Nigeria on Wednesday June 12, allowing office staff to watch the game before work.

The first early game will also be in England's group during the Golden Jubilee bank holiday weekend on June 2, when Argentina and Nigeria kick off at 7.30am.

Helen said: " We're expecting a sizeable crowd in. Coinciding with the Queen's Jubilee bank holiday weekend it will be a historic occasion."

Supporters will be able to get more than a pint or two of ale. The pubs, which must all have a large video screen and agree to keep it switched on for the whole match, must make "substantial refreshment" available.

At the Village Inn, as at most of this week's 15 successful applicants, this means a full English breakfast.

Cooking bacon, eggs, sausages and all the trimmings is nothing new for early morning staff at the Swindon's Holiday Inn hotel, formerly the Post House, near Coate Water.

Manager David Lee said his staff start serving breakfasts at 6am anyway. But they will also have bacon and egg rolls on offer to soak up the alcohol at half time during early morning World Cup games.

And the drinkers will be able to watch the play on the huge screen of a 6ft tall TV set

The Litten Tree in Fleet Street and Freshbrook Community Centre are among other establishments which are considering making World Cup early morning opening a ticket only affair.

Sheila Cleary of the Jovial Monk at North Swindon said she hadn't yet thought about tickets. But her football mad customers will certainly get a breakfast to remember.

Sheila, who supports Newcastle United, said: "We have six en suite bedrooms and our customers have come to expect a real Geordie breakfast, which is a large one.

"We are known as a sports pub," she said.

Swindon's licensing officer Geoff Hicks said there were no police objections to the applications, which were put before magistrates yesterday.

* England's World Cup games: June 2: England vs Sweden: 10.30am; June 7: England vs Argentina: 12.30pm; June 12: England vs Nigeria: 7.30am.