Euro 2016: England fans face a return to riot police tactics of the 1980s, British officers warn

England fans ignored pleas from the FA on Wednesday night by becoming involved in fresh clashes

England fans during violent clashes in Lille (WOLFGANG RATTAY/Reuters)

British police officers are warning football fans who may be tempted to repeat scenes like the battles with riot in Lille that they face the prospect of encountering riot police and dogs wherever they travel.

England fans ignored pleas from the Football Association on Wednesday night by becoming involved in clashes and running battles with the CRS Police Nationale. Though the main body of supporters chased by the riot police comprised French supporters, who had left in the fan zone in the town en masse, a core of at least 80 British fans was also involved, taunting officers and throwing flares before joining the stampede.

British officers have told The Independent that the consequences of this conduct being repeated will be a return to the 1980s days when huge numbers of local armed officers with a zero tolerance approach greeted the English on arrival.

The number of English arrested throughout Wednesday was only nine, none of whom were involved in the chase around the streets of Lille with riot police after night. During the day four West Ham fans and five Cardiff City clashed on a train between the coast and Lille and were arrested when the train reached the industrial town.

But the clashes with police have become a national embarrassment at home and senior British officers feel that a young generation of supporters predisposed to occupying foreign cities and needing minimal provocation to fight and throw missiles are the target group that need to be tackled. The UK Football Policing Unit will discuss with the football authorities after this tournament how to tackle the root cause of the disorder.

On Wednesday, British police officers played a vital role in preventing situation from escalating – persuading the French to let them use diplomacy and negotiating skills to reason with English drunks as the situation escalated.

French riot police told senior British officers that water cannon would be deployed if they could not deal with unruly English, including one group who had been unhappy when a bar stopped serving alcohol earlier than anticipated. The British negotiators – or ‘spotters’ – manged to de-escalate that situation.

But despite a marked French willingness to involve British officers more than on previous nights of clashes, the CRS ultimately lost patience. They used tear gas as they chased group groups of English and French supporters around the streets of Lille.

The latest clashes will not bring an increase in the number of ‘spotters’ deployed by the UK Football Policing Unit (UKFPU) because senior British officers do not believe they are dealing with large, high-risk groups of individuals intent on causing violence. They are actually mediating with drunks.

The situation on Wednesday deteriorated after several hundred riot police formed a human barrier between English and French fans aroud midnight, just before the chase. Fireworks were thrown from the French side and that appears to have prompted the initial CRS use of tear gas.

In keeping with the trend of the last week, some English fans then assumed that they were being singled out by the French offices and reacted aggressively. British officers believe around 60 British fans were initially caught up in the middle of the far bigger French group that was being chased and tear-gassed.

Assistant Chief Constable Mark Roberts, head of the UKFPU told The Independent said that the French willingness to use of his own officers had helped the situation, despite the running battles which ultimately ensued.’ “The cooperation with the French has been excellent and our officers have been able played a key negotiating role,” he said. “It did prevent an escalation of the situation.”