British police officers who are in Germanyhave issued a warning to England fans after supporters were spotted 'snorting cocaine off their hands' and drinking strong German beer just hours before a bloody brawl erupted.
The police officers on the ground have admitted that many of the young England fans are not known to them as this is the first tournament they've travelled to since the pandemic.
Tonight England take on Serbia in their first game of Euros 2024. However shocking pictures emerging fromGelsenkirchen, the German city where the match is taking place, of violence between fans already threatens to overshadow the match.
The bloody brawl between England and Serbian fans broke out this afternoonas football hooliganism made a shameful return to the Euros, with riot police moving in to break up the fighting. A police source told MailOnline at least six people have been arrested.
Hours before the violence broke out, British police in Germany assisting their German counterparts admitted fans had been spotted binge drinking and taking Class A drugs.
The bloody brawl between England and Serbian fans broke out this afternoon as football hooliganism made a shameful return to the Euros
Tonight England take on Serbia in their first game of Euros. However shocking pictures emerging from Gelsenkirchen, the German city where the match is taking place, of violence between fans already threatens to overshadow the match
Speaking to Sky News, PC Stuart Dickerson from the UK football policing unit said:'We have seen people openly taking cocaine off the back of their hands.
'They're drinking beer that's a lot stronger than they're used to and people tend to get carried away and do things they don't do at home.'
The British authorities over the years have banned roughly 2,000 from attending football matches but many of those have since expired .
In fact, PC Dickerson claims he and his team have spotted 100 known football hooligans among the crowds.
PC Dickerson said: 'There are a lot of English supporters that are known to us with previous convictions for football violence across the country.
'So, we've been identifying those people to our guys here and just advising the local police that if a like-minded group, say from Dusseldorf or Italy, were to come through there's every chance that there will be violence.'
Another unknown for the police is the many young England fans attending the Eurosas this is the first tournament they've travelled to since the pandemic.
On top of this, the game was already considered high risk due to the lack of British intelligence on the Serbian fans.
A bloody fan in Gelsenkirchen. The British authorities over the years have banned roughly 2,000 from attending football matches but many of those have since expired
Hours before the violence broke out, British police in Germany assisting their German counterparts admitted fans had been spotted binge drinking and taking Class A drugs
A smashed up table in Gelsenkirchen. PC Dickerson claims he and his team have spotted 100 known football hooligans among the crowds
Previously, the chief of police in Gelsenkirchen had previously warned that they believe'up to 400 or 500 violence-seeking Serbian hooligans will travel to Germany, but we don't know it exactly and so that's our problem at the moment.'
Football fans in Serbia have a track record of serious violence - with hooligan groups linked to organised crime groups accused of kidnap, rape and even murder.
Red Star Belgrade ultras, known as the Delije or 'Strong Boys', they are said to specialise in gang warfare, political violence, racketeering and organised crime.
The Balkan country's most notorious hooligan, Ivan Bogdanov, is a fearsome figure known as 'Ivan the Terrible' who has spent more than two years in Italian and Serbian jails.
Following today's violence the UK's dedicated Football Policing Unit released a statement saying a 'number of arrests' have been made, but it is believed those detained are Serbian.
In videos on social media, glass could be heard being smashed as police ran down a street in the centre of town.
One clip showed several dozen fans throwing restaurant chairs and tables at one another before one group fled with the other giving chase.
Police officers joined the chase and broke up altercations which left several fans with blood pouring from their faces.
One fan could be seen curled up on the ground, bring kicked by rivals before police intervened.
Riot police descended on the scene within minutes of the violence and forced those still in the vicinity inside the steakhouse. Officers then quickly surrounded the terraced property with police vans blocking each end of the street.
Serbia fans are escorted through the city centre by German police officers after scuffles earlier broke out between rival groups of fans
An eyewitness told MailOnline: 'There was a sudden burst of violence. It came out of nowhere.
'It was unclear who started what. But to me it seemed liked a group of fans rushed the bar where Serbs were drinking and it all kicked off with tables, chairs and bottles thrown.
'One man had blood pouring from a head wound - he was English I believe.'
An estimated 40,000 England supporters are believed to have descended this weekend on Gelsenkirchen and neighbouring cities such as Dusseldorf and Cologne.
German police have been working with authorities from London and Belgrade to try to avoid ugly scenes in the areas around the stadium and during the game itself.
And Englandmanager Gareth Southgate has encouraged supporters to enjoy their time in Germany.
