Three jailed over riots

THREE ENGLAND supporters are today behind bars after being convicted of hooliganism by a French court last night.

One of the supporters is believed to be on the police's Category C list of known hard-core hooligans. James Shayler, a 32-year-old roofer of Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, admitted throwing missiles at police, but denied that he had thrown stones. He was jailed for two months by the Marseilles court.

French police arrested Shayler, who sports an England flag tattooed on his belly, in the thick of the rioting English fans on Sunday. He said that he had thought he was throwing lumps of mud and that he did not think that he had hit police. Shayler, a Leeds United fan who lives with his girlfriend and their three children, was banned from France for one year following his release.

It is understood that he was one of the known hooligans that police "spotter" teams in Marseilles were particularly looking for.

Graham Whitby and Christopher Anderson, both postmen aged 26 and from Liverpool, were sentenced to three months' jail after being found guilty of setting fire to a car. Both were found guilty of criminal damage and inciting other fans to riot during violence in Marseilles on Sunday. They were also banned from France for one year after their release.

Six other English fans were remanded by the court to be dealt with at a later date.

Last night's hearing was held under the new fast-track justice system specially introduced by French authorities to tackle World Cup hooliganism.