Some of the stadiums which will host matches for the World Cup Finals next summer have serious safety problems, should the crowds panic or there is a fire.

Stiftung Warentest, Germany's consumer protection group, has completed it's evaluation of the 12 Stadiums that will host the World Cup Finals. The group identified serious deficiencies which could become lethal in some cases.

"Stiftung Warentest has examined the construction safety of the World Cup stadiums and in places identified serious deficiencies that could have grave consequences if panic broke out," a statement from the group said.

The news deals a second blow to the World Cup 2006 Organising Committee, after another consumer group forced the Organising Committee to refund service charges to those who entered the World Cup Tickets ballot and were not lucky.

The exact findings of the group have not been published yet, but the group said that it will publish its findings in a press conference on the 19th of January.

The German Organising Committee has tried to play down the findings of the report, saying that the problems are related to emergency lanes and exits. However they did not go into further details as they have yet to receive the report.

World Cup 2006 Organising Committee Vice-President Horst R. Schmidt spoke to German media about the issue, saying that "I was informed up to now that there were no major problems. I know that an inspection has taken place, but nothing beyond that. If there are problems it would only be fair to allow us to comment on it."

The situation very much resembles the preparations in Greece for the 2004 Olympic Games. Few believed the country would make it and the Hellenic Olympic Committee received heavy criticism in the run-up to the Opening Ceremony.

Few believed the same problems would appear in Germany, where the venues are much less than in the Athens Olympic Games. The fact that the Bundesliga is also taking place, with matches being played continuously, is slowing work progress in the Stadiums.

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