French Police use tear gas as two England fans arrested following trouble in Marseille

An English football fan has been arrested after French police used tear gas on a small group of England supporters caught in a brawl with locals in Marseille.

Police have said two people were arrested - one for assaulting a barman, and the other for violent disorder. One of the men was English and the other a local.

Another England supporter reportedly suffered a head injury after being hit across the face with a wooden chair.

It is understood the confrontation took place outside an English pub in the Old Port district of the city, where England face Russia in their opening Euro 2016 Group B match at the Stade Velodrome on Saturday.

Gendarmes clad in riot gear and accompanied by dogs were deployed on the streets of the southern city after trouble was reported shortly before midnight on Thursday.

Ambulances were seen arriving after police carrying riot shields moved in to separate the two groups, and tear gas was used to clear the area. 

Footage of the incident showed men hurling chairs, a fist fight outside a McDonald's restaurant and chanting England fans.

However, Sky Sports News HQ reporter Gary Cotterill is in Marseille and said all was calm on Friday morning while suggesting there may have been local involvement in the trouble.

"We saw a sign that hardcore Marseille fans might have been involved and might have been the cause of these scenes," he said. "We saw stickers put there by their ultras warning that this is a Marseille fan zone and to beware, so signs that perhaps it wasn't all the fault of England fans."

A clip posted on Twitter apparently showed the aftermath of the disorder, as shop workers swept a street strewn with broken glass.

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UEFA has appealed to fans to "behave respectfully" during Euro 2016.

"UEFA regrets the skirmishes that occurred in Marseille yesterday", said a spokesman.

"We are confident that the safety of travelling fans will be ensured by the local authorities which are responsible for order in the city. 

"We make an appeal to all fans to behave respectfully throughout the tournament."

Meanwhile, James Shayler, one of the country's most notorious football hooligans, has had his passport seized by police ahead of the European championships.

Shayler was jailed for two months at World Cup '98 after leading an attack on police officers, which led to him being dubbed "the Pig of Marseilles" by the French media.

Last month, he reportedly made abusive remarks, threatening to carry out violence at the tournament.