The time has come to use new technology for football refereeing in the wake of mistakes in the World Cup, the UK's sports minister has said.

Richard Caborn said refereeing errors had been damaging for the tournament.

Decisions during co-host South Korea's victories against Italy and Spain have sparked particular controversy.

Technology has been brought in to make it fairer but also I think it adds to some of the excitement

Richard Caborn Sports Minister

Mr Caborn argued those had been genuine mistakes rather than deliberate attempts to help the Koreans reach the semi-finals.

In 1986 England suffered when the referee allowed Diego Maradona's hand-of-God goal despite his handball being obvious to millions of television viewers within seconds of being scored.

Fourth officials armed with modern technology, such as slow motion video replays, should now be introduced, the minister told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Action urged

"We have seen that used in sports like rugby league and cricket. It has been brought in to make it fairer but also I think it adds to some of the excitement," said Mr Caborn.

Those moves should start later this year in the qualifying rounds for the 2004 European Championships in Portugal, he said.

Caborn bet �500 on England winning the cup

Fifa also needed to look at making referees more professional and ending disparities in the quality of officials from different countries, argued Mr Caborn.

Fifa has admitted referees had in some case made bad mistakes.

Keith Cooper, the association's communications director, said: "The chairman of the referees, Senes Erzik, says there have been one or two major mistakes which have been a cause of concern.

"But he feels that the referees have been very well prepared for the World Cup.

"He is keen to point out, as it has been done many times before, that referees are only human and errors cannot be entirely eliminated."

Mr Cooper rejected suggestions that there was any conspiracy to get South Korea as far as possible in the competition.