Police fire tear gas as Dutch fans riot

French police fired tear gas near the end of a Uefa Cup match in Nancy after rioting Dutch supporters ripped up seats and hurled objects on to the field.

The rowdy Dutch fans, who marauded through the downtown area ahead of the game between Nancy and Feyenoord Rotterdam, pulled seats from their base at the Marcel-Picot Stadium in the eastern French town and threw objects on to the field.

The tear gas was fired in the 78th minute and forced a 20-minute suspension of the match, which eventually ended in a 3-0 victory for Nancy.

About 300 Dutch fans ran through the streets of Nancy breaking windows ahead of the match, forcing officials to shut down the tramway after a window in the public transport system was broken.

A 31-year-old fan was detained after throwing a bottle at a member of the riot police.

Police eventually restored calm in the city’s centre.

About 2,000 Dutch supporters, some drinking heavily, were in town for the match, police said.

Last week, a black police officer protecting a Jewish fan shot a young man dead and wounded another while under attack from Paris Saint-Germain supporters hurling racist and anti-Semitic abuse.