The Polish government may enlist the services of up to 20,000 prisoners to build the stadia and infrastructure for the Euro 2012 football championship. BBC

European football's governing body, UEFA, surprised the footballing world when it announced in April that Poland and Ukraine would co-host the 2012 tournament.

Neither country has hosted a major football tournament before and the crumbling, communist-era stadiums fall far short of UEFA standards.

Several grounds are to be built from scratch and there is a severe lack of hotels and roads.

Meanwhile, Poland is suffering from a shortage of construction workers, as many have left for better-paid jobs in western Europe.