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It’s one of the most highly anticipated football tournaments in years and it starts tonight.

England have high hopes of success, Wales and Northern Ireland are both are at their first competition in years and the Republic of Ireland have a Hollywood match with Italy to look forward to.

Daily Star Online has already revealed all about new French laws on prostitution.

But fans looking to bag themselves a companion for the night might be in for a nasty surprise.

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Syphilis, a horror infection that can leave sores and blotchy rashes on the penis, lead to blindness and even cause strokes, is on the rise across Europe.

France has seen an increase of over 50% since 2010 – and it could be worrying news for Brits already facing an untreatable "super-gonorrhoea" epidemic.

England fans have already been warned about the scores of illegal brothels advertised online in Marseille, where the Three Lions take on Russia.

But the most common STI in France at the moment is campylobacteriosis – an infection that can cause bloody diarrhoea, dysentery and fever.

There have been almost 6,000 cases since 2010 alone.

Gonorrhoea, a horrible STI that can cause your penis to swell, cause a burning sensation when you urinate and change the colour of your urine, is also rife – with 5,096 cases in the same time period.

While chlamydia, that can cause swelling in the testicles and also make women infertile, could also be widespread.

But the French choose not to keep national statistics on the infection so there is no way of us calculating – although it is believed to be extremely common across western Europe.

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A spokesperson for the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said: "The overall increasing trend of syphilis in many EU countries is likely linked to changes in sexual behaviour.

"Promoting safe sexual behaviour and increasing testing rates among risk groups is essential to prevent cases.

"It can reduce the risk of the complications of late stages of syphilis infection through earlier diagnosis."

England fans have already been threatened by Russian thugs promising a bloodbath in Marseille.

And violence is expected in the much anticipated grudge match between Wales and England.

All figures quoted are based on statistics provided by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control from a test period between 2010 and 2014.