Inquiry into racist taunts in Bratislava

Uefa, the governing body of European football, has embarked on an investigation into the racist barracking of Emile Heskey and Ashley Cole, which marred Saturday's international fixture between England and Slovakia in Bratislava.

Uefa will also be looking into violent clashes between England supporters and Slovakian police during the match at the Tehelne Pole Stadium.

Mike Lee, Uefa's communications director, said the report of the Italian referee, Domenico Massimo, "refers to the specific racist abuse of Cole and Heskey and also to disturbances in the England supporters' end".

Uefa have recently launched a campaign aimed at eradicating racist abuse in football grounds after a series of players, often representing English clubs, were abused. The leniency of punishments has been criticised. Last week, the Dutch club PSV Eindhoven was fined only £13,000 after fans abused and threw missiles at Arsenal's Thierry Henry. Possible sanctions extend to closing grounds.

Paul Newman, the Football Association's communications officer, said: "Uefa need to increase the penalties if the campaign is to be effective."

Sven Goran Eriksson, England's coach, added: "It is not everybody doing it but maybe you have to close grounds. You have to do something."

For the FA to take the moral high ground is difficult when their own supporters are engaging in hooliganism even if, as the FA claims, they were responding in part to the racist abuse. In the context of what is known about the political leanings of the violent fringe of England supporters this is improbable, though not inconceivable. Missile throwing is a more likely provocation.

Mr Newman added that the FA believed the Slovakian police's reaction to unrest in the crowd on Saturday was heavy-handed. He said: "We have protested in the strongest possible terms to the Uefa delegate. We feel some of the crowd measures employed by the police were inappropriate and we have photographic evidence to show them."

The authorities, in full riot gear, did react with considerable force but both main baton charges appeared to be prompted by some of the 4,000 England fans attempting to pull down the fence separating them from Slovakians. Seats were used as missiles, which struck police and fellow England supporters.

The violence followed several incidents in Bratislava, including the shooting of two England fans on Friday night outside the team hotel. "I heard it in my hotel room," said Eriksson. "I thought it was fireworks and went to the window. It was like the Wild West outside.

"It is very sad. Football is the most beautiful game in the world and it should be a party every time. There should be rivalry between the fans but in a sporting way."

One of the England fans who was shot on the eve of the match yesterday told of the moment he realised he had been hit.

Gareth Jones, 30, said: "There was a big bang and I felt a pain in the side of my neck. I put my hand there and realised there was a lot of blood spurting out, and shouted to my friend 'I've been shot, I've been shot'." Mr Jones, a van driver from Wyken, Coventry, was the more seriously wounded of the two England fans shot. The other, Phil Holland, from Worcester, was hit in the knee.