A hotel is banning its employees from uttering the word "football" so those sick to death of World Cup mania can have some peace. Any guest who overhears a member of the staff say the word gets a free glass of champagne.

"The bookings are starting to stream in," says Mike Bevans, manager of the Linthwaite House Hotel in London's Lake District, one of England's most popular tourist destinations.

The sports sections are to be removed from the daily newspapers and guests will be able to view movies on DVD rather than coverage of the games, reports Reuters.

The World Cup finals begin in Germany on June 9 and end in Berlin on July 9.