One Critical After Marseille Clashes

An England supporter is in critical condition tonight - and two others have been seriously injured - after violence worsened during a third day of trouble in Marseille.

A gang of well-organised Russian fans is suspected to have clashed with England supporters - possibly in co-ordination with French ultras - ahead of the home side's first match of Euro 2016 against Russia, which ended 1-1.

Violence also broke out at the end of the match with images showing what appeared to Russian fans attacking England supporters inside the Stade Velodrome.

Pictures showed England fans having to jump over barriers as they left the ground in a hurry.

Earlier, police used water cannon, tear gas, dogs and batons to control England fans at the old port in Marseille, and outside the stadium just before England kicked off their campaign.

During one street battle, armed police officers carried out CPR in the street on one man who had suffered severe facial injuries.

Footage posted on Twitter showed a man getting stamped in the face by another man wearing a black T-shirt and a third man being punched repeatedly as someone lay motionless on the ground.

Further footage showed fighting on a set of steps in the city that led to one man smashing a chair over another's head and other chairs being thrown.

It was not clear if England fans were involved in that incident.

Sky News has been told that 19 people were hurt in the violence although local media put the figure as high as 31.

UEFA earlier said that England and Russia would not face sanctions because of the unrest as the trouble had occurred away from the stadium, but after violence flared at the end of the match, PA said it understood the organisation is to launch an investigation.

England manager Roy Hodgson refused to comment on the violent clashes, leaving it to a spokesman for the Football Association.

The spokesman admitted the FA were "terribly disappointed" and said it was up to the "relevant authorities to identify those involved".

Russia coach Leonid Slutsky, meanwhile, played down the incident, saying: "I don't know what's gone on today. We were focused on the game and don't know all the details of the incidents in Marseille. But clearly it's not the best thing for football."

Sky's Paul Kelso says Russian fans are suspected of being involved in the worst of the violence.

Before the match started, he said: "A gang of what appears to be Russian supporters, hooligans, very well organised, stormed into the old port area and looked for English fans to attack."

French police said they were forced to intervene after clashes between rival fans.

"Police intervened in a clash between English, Russian and French supporters in the Vieux-Port district," said local police chief Laurent Nunez.

Alexander Shprygin, head of the All-Russian Fans' Union, a body with backing from the Russian government told AP that Russian supporters were involved.

"The reason (for the fighting) was that the English are drinking a lot and are behaving badly," he said.

Fans of Russian clubs Lokomotiv Moscow and Zenit St Petersburg were "active" in the fighting, he added, but would not comment on whether a group of Russian fans had attacked English supporters.

Sky's Siobhan Robbins said before the match: "About 300 youths stormed down here and within seconds the atmosphere changed.

"These youths, we were told they were local French youths, ran down and started attacking some of the English then trouble broke out."

One Frenchman who was with England fans when the violence reached its peak said he didn't know who was responsible.
A video taken from the roof of one of the buildings in the old port showed what appeared to be a large group of England fans racing down a back street, throwing chairs.

Another video hosted by the La Provence newspaper website purported to show English fans armed with chairs from a restaurant searching for Russian fans.

La Provence reported that six people have been arrested so far and police have used a police helicopter to capture images of the violence so those responsible can be tracked down later.

It comes after UK police held talks with their French counterparts to discuss policing after violent scenes on Friday night.

Sky News understands there has been some frustration that British officers' advice on controlling England fans was ignored when trouble flared.

Tear gas was repeatedly used to move fans on from bars on Friday and riot police were met with showers of bottles when they marched towards groups of England fans.

There was also unrest on Thursday.

Source: Skynews