England fans held after street rioting

About 200 football fans clashed with police in Albufeira.

Twelve England supporters were arrested for public order offences after the fans, who had been drinking heavily, began throwing bottles outside a bar.

Fans pelted police with bottles, chairs and glasses in running battles lasting two hours.

Initial attempts to calm the situation failed and police in riot gear were deployed to break up the crowd. Several fans were handcuffed and marched away from the scene. The street outside the La Bamba bar was strewn with bottles and broken glass. It was the first serious incident involving English fans in Portugal since the Euro 2004 tournament began at the weekend.

Those arrested were due to appear in court in the Algarve later today.

Meanwhile, police in England today charged three men following violent clashes after England’s defeat on Sunday night.

Doorstaff and police officers were pelted with bottles during rioting in the Westgate area of Wakefield, West Yorkshire, shortly

after the dramatic last-minute defeat by France in Euro 2004.

This morning’s trouble in Portugal was in the south of the country where thousands of English fans are staying in tourist accommodation during the tournament.

Police spokesman Captain Manuel Jorge said a crowd of English fans had been drinking in the street near the La Bamba bar at around 1.30am.

He said: "They began throwing bottles at the police and we had to send in the horses to bring the situation under control. We arrested 12 people."

In London, a Foreign Office spokeswoman said the fans had been detained for public disturbance-related matters.

"We are in touch with the authorities and consular assistance will be offered in the normal way," she added.

The trouble erupted just hours after England fans were praised by local police as an example to other nations.

Portuguese national police spokesman Alexandre Coimbra said not a single England supporter was arrested in Lisbon after Sven Goran Eriksson’s team lost its opening game to tournament favourites France on Sunday night.

In contrast, hooligans went on the rampage across England following the 2-1 defeat.

Dozens of people were arrested, police came under attack with bricks and bottles, and patrol cars were set alight as serious disturbances broke out in town centres such as Croydon, south London, and Wakefield, West Yorkshire. Irate supporters also left a trail of destruction in Hertfordshire, Cambridge, Essex, Birmingham and Boston in Lincolnshire.

It is thought that up to 400 people were involved in clashes in Croydon, where two police officers were taken to hospital with minor injuries.

Missiles, including bottles, were thrown at officers and several police vehicles.

Officers made a total of 13 arrests - 11 of those detained remain in custody and two were taken to hospital with head injuries. All those arrested are between 17 and 23 years old.

Twelve people were arrested in Birmingham after more than 200 people ran amok along the city’s Broad Street for 45 minutes. One man was taken to hospital with minor injuries.

The violence involved fans who had been watching the match on a big screen in the city’s Centenary Square.

Following the final whistle, London Ambulance Service experienced a surge in emergency call-outs - up 26 per cent on the same period last Sunday - as violent incidents broke out around the capital.

Back in Portugal one England fan received a suspended jail sentence and has been expelled from the country after being involved in minor violence in Lisbon on Saturday night.

Alan John Walker, 29, of Leek, Staffordshire, appeared in court accused of attacking two French fans.

The Stoke City supporter was given a 12-month sentence, suspended for three years, fined 1200 euros and banned from Portugal for a year.

Walker was previously subject to a football banning order in Britain but police said that expired before Euro 2004.

More than 2300 England fans are subject to banning orders which stopped them from going to Euro 2004.

Another 500 are prevented from travelling while their cases go through the legal system. A total of 42 fans known to police have been stopped at British ports and airports over the last week.

The number of England fans turned away at Portuguese ports of entry stands at two, and the authorities have said many key figures responsible for violence at previous England games were not in Portugal.

Speaking before today’s disturbances, Mr Coimbra said not a single England fan was arrested in Lisbon after the game.

He said: "The British fans were fantastic, they showed how to lose a game with great fair play and dignity.

"They facilitated our police mission. I hope they can give an example for other fans here in Portugal."