POLICE have warned World Cup revellers they could end up in a cell after outbreaks of disorder marred England’s ascent into the semi-final for the first time in 28 years.

Durham Police said it experienced its busiest day of the year dealing with 1,418 calls coinciding with the national team’s 2-0 triumph over Sweden on Saturday.

At one stage every police cell in the county was full, mostly with people affected by drink who had been arrested, the force said.

Officers and their patrol car came under attack in Spennymoor following a disturbance which led to one man being tasered and arrested.

Drunken revellers took over some town centres, including Darlington where thousands gathered having watched the action from Russia on television in pubs.

Superintendent Colin Williamson said: “Saturday was by far our busiest day of the year – it was even busier than New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, which are usually our most demanding days.

“Thankfully there were no major incidents and the majority of people behaved responsibly, but the combination of good weather, alcohol and a fantastic result for England resulted in a huge increase in calls to us.

"We are looking forward to Wednesday’s match as much as everyone else and will have extra patrols on duty to keep everyone safe.

“However, we’d urge people to watch the game safely and responsibly.

"Would you really want to miss it by ending up in a police cell?”

Police are also urging people to think twice about whether they really need to call 999 or the non-emergency 101 number.

Supt Williamson said: “A number of calls we received on Saturday could have been easily addressed through other channels, rather than by calling 999 or 101.

“Please help our officers to respond to those that urgently need our help and only call if there is a genuine need for a police response.”

Durham Police, Crime and Victim’s Commissioner Ron Hogg added: “It’s great that so many people are able to support a successful England football team this summer and I wish them all the best in the semi-final.

“I would encourage everyone to enjoy the rest of the World Cup safely and sensibly.”

Cleveland Police also experienced one of its busiest ever nights on Saturday.

Footage circulating on social media appeared to show revellers jumping on top of a police vehicle in Corporation Road, Middlesbrough although this has not been commented on by the force.

Middlesbrough Borough Council shelved plans to screen future World Cup matches in the town’s centre square after a hardcore group of fans tried to force their way into a fenced off area where the football was being shown on a big screen.

It said stewards turned away about 500 people who were intoxicated or attempting to bring in alcohol bought elsewhere, but were met with a “volley of abuse and threats of violence”.

Despite security searches on entry, flares were smuggled in and lit and thrown into the crowd, which included families and children.

Councillor Mick Thompson said: “The behaviour experienced on Saturday – and in particular the abuse and intimidation aimed at hard-working staff – was completely unacceptable and something we will not tolerate.

“This behaviour put the safety of families and children in danger and in at least one instance resulted in injury.

“We have consulted with our colleagues at Cleveland Police and accept their advice that it would simply not be advisable to screen any further games in this way.

“I can only apologise to law-abiding fans and I would urge those involved in Saturday’s disorder to think long and hard about their behaviour.”

Some people who attended the event criticised its organisation, while there were several interruptions to the transmission caused by technical problems.

One woman, who went with her two children and a friend, said: "I thought they could have had a separate section for families close to the screen.

"They did have activities for children, but they weren't close enough to let you view the game.

"I saw just one member of staff in the crowd while we were there, he was collecting litter. "Other than that all the security staff seemed to all be standing at the entrance and exits.

"There were also no clear walkways within the fenced area, so if you were close to the front with small children it wasn't easy to move to the less crowded areas.

"When the crowd started to become rowdy it was quite intimidating, particularly after the flare incident and the screen going off."

In North Yorkshire police said they received 487 emergency 999 calls between 7am on Saturday and 7am on Sunday, one of the highest number of calls totals ever seen.

Numbers of 999 calls in the county usually average between 200 and 300 a day.

Non-emergency calls to 101 usually average between 500 and 650 a day and on Saturday the North Yorkshire force took 729.

Chief Inspector Charlotte Bloxham, head of the force control room, said: “The summer is always a busy time for us.

"However with the recent high temperatures and events such as local race meetings, concerts and the World Cup, we have seen increasingly high demand placed upon the force.

"We want to see our communities embracing the glorious weather and enjoying the events taking place across the county in the next few weeks, however we must ask that people enjoy themselves responsibly.

"Most revellers in towns and cities enjoy a few drinks in the sun, including football fans who have relished the on going success of England during this World Cup tournament, and return home without any issues.

“There are a small few, however, that ruin it for many by becoming aggressive or violent after too much to drink.

"We want to convey a clear message that we will continue to work around the clock to keep people safe and those who cause alarm or harm to others will be removed from the streets.”