JOHANNESBURG, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- A top South African crime researcher has described as absurd the suggestion that soccer teams would have to wear bulletproof vests during next year's World Cup in South Africa, the Cape Argus newspaper reported on Saturday.

    This comes after reports emerged that the head of a German security firm, contracted to look after that country's football federation, warned players to wear bulletproof vests if they ventured out of the team's Pretoria hotel in 2010.

    "It is ridiculous, to say the least," said Johan Burger, senior researcher at the South African Institute for Security Studies.

    "There would be no need for teams to wear bulletproof vests when they come here. Security will be extremely tight in 2010. We are more concerned about the street robberies during that period, which will be non-fatal," Burger said, adding that the biggest risk when hosting the event would be the safety of visitors.

    "The police's event-specific strategy is fantastic for 2010, but there is still concern about the continued incidence of aggravated robbery on the city streets," he said.

    "Incidents have decreased this year, but will probably increase closer to the event. I'm sure the police will deploy more personnel on the streets, but we need to start now so that opportunists know the police are serious about all types of crime, no matter how insignificant it might seem," he said.

    Rich Mkhondo, 2010 local organizing committee (LOC) spokesman, said the claim by the German security firm was "a huge publicity stunt".

    "It's an exaggeration of what is really happening in South Africa," said Mkhondo.

    Meanwhile, a delegation from the German football federation is expected in the country next week to inspect the team's base camp in Pretoria.