Police ready for Barmy Army influx

Christchurch may look a little blue to the Barmy Army when it pours into the city this week.

Police are planning to saturate the Garden City with hundreds of officers for one of the region's biggest rugby tests. They will stop anyone entering the city in a hired vehicle between Thursday and Saturday and give them information about road laws and alcohol bylaws.

"The Christchurch game is expected to be the start of a personal tour for many Lions supporters so they will be new to New Zealand driving conditions and laws," Inspector Craig McKay said.

Alcohol abuse would be targeted but police did not expect much trouble because Lions' supporters were generally well behaved.

Police from Timaru would bolster numbers and all leave scheduled for this week had been cancelled so police would have a high presence in the days leading up to the game.

- NZPA