ST. JOHN'S, Antigua (AP):

BRITAIN WILL be providing security assistance and advocacy to Caribbean countries hosting matches in next year's Cricket World Cup, a British naval officer said this week.

Cmdr. Andy Jordan of the HMS Iron Duke, a 176-crew frigate visiting Antigua and Barbuda for the nation's 25th anniversary of independence from Britain, said the British military will be "providing as much guidance as we can" during the 2007 CWC.

"Obviously there's going to be a lot of people in the region travelling from one place to another and ... there are those who will exploit that for the wrong way," Jordan said. "The Ministry of Defence is doing a lot of work in the background to provide a lot of assistance wherever we can."

About 100,000 people are expected to come to the region during the World Cup, which runs from March 13 to April 28 with matches in nine Caribbean countries. The host countries will allow fans who obtain a tourist visa in one of the countries to travel freely among the others. Earlier this year, Britain Foreign Secretary Jack Straw met with Caribbean foreign ministers in Barbados for security talks ahead of the tournament.

Interpol has agreed to help Caribbean countries establish a visa database for the World Cup, and French officials have pledged to help provide security assistance during the tournament.

Last week, U.S. Homeland Security Chief Michael Chertoff signed an agreement with Caribbean officials to help set up a database that would check travellers' names against criminal watch lists.