England fan jailed

A Kent fireman was today identified as the ringleader behind the first night of violence to blight the Euro 2004 championships.

He ruled that Mann had kick-started the trouble when he threw a bottle at police and then encouraged fellow yobs to follow his example.

Mann, who sports a tattoo of the St George cross on his forearm, was today expected to return to Britain under police guard to serve his time.

He is also likely to be banned from football matches for three years and faces the sack from his job with the Kent fire brigade, which is considering disciplinary action.

Like most of his fellow accused, Mann, from Faversham, claimed in court he had had nothing to do with the rioting which saw 200 men rampage through the Algarve resort of Albufeira in the early hours of Tuesday.

But he is among 11, including the son of an Oxford academic and grandson of police superintendent, who will now be deported. Ten received jail terms of more than six years between them.

Mann's role in the violence became clear as another 33 England soccer yobs faced jail today following a second consecutive night of chaos in Albufeira, with up to 400 men causing trouble for three-hours.

Judge Marques outlined the case against Mann and his co-accused saying: "There was trouble in the street and a lot of noise being made from 1.10am.

"A doorman at a bar was assaulted and military police went to see what was going on. A police officer was assaulted and officers saw a lot of broken glass and there was singing in the street and glasses of beer started being thrown.

"When the police tried to leave the bar the fans tried to stop them and some of the fans tried to assault them and bottles were thrown.

"Gary Mann was detained and arrested for throwing a bottle at military police. When he ran away he incited others to do the same and to fight against the police."

Tony Blair told the Commons those involved in the trouble had brought "shame on our country".

Meanwhile Uefa, the football governing body running the European Championships, warned that any repeat of the violence tonight around England's crucial match against Switzerland could see them act on their threat to throw the national team out of the competition.

A spokesman said: "It is not being viewed as football hooliganism by Uefa. However, if it changes - and we hope it doesn't - and there is trouble around a stadium or around an England match that position could change and we would have to review it."

As the 11 thugs flew home details began to emerge of their middle-class backgrounds. At least four are university educated.

Sussex University computing graduate Andrew Williams, 22, whose grandfather was a police superintendent, was found guilty of throwing a chair in a bar and given a seven-month suspended sentence.

Jack Ashdown-Hobbs, 20, of Beckley, Oxfordshire, was cleared of criminal wrongdoing but will be deported and is banned from returning to Portugal for a year. His father, Michael, is a consultant psychiatrist and psychotherapist at the Warneford Hospital and a lecturer at Oxford University.

Chef Ricky Tsigarides, 22, grinned as he was brought into court but was also handed a seven-month suspended sentence after the court heard he had burned a French flag and put its ashes on his head before throwing glasses of drink at people. He lives with his mother, a catering firm owner, in Cheshunt Hertfordshire. John Parkes, 19, from Dudley, who had been expecting to study archaeology and ancient history at Birmingham University, got the same punishment for throwing glasses.

Daniel Marsh, 20, from Barnsley, John Jackson, a 22-year-old graduate from Newcastle, and David Jackson, 28, from Peterborough, were all also given seven-month jail sentences, suspended for three years. Former butcher Peter Barmick, 37, from Middlesbrough, was given a nine-month jail sentence, suspended for three years.

The Middlesbrough fan appeared in court 18 months ago for causing a breach of the peace at a game against Blackpool. For a £10 bet he sat in the away supporters end and, when his team scored, stood up and taunted opposing fans. Instead of giving his own address, he gave that of his mother, who is recovering from a heart by-pass operation.

Paul Donahue, 32, and Jason Boyle, 22, both from Manchester, were cleared of criminal wrongdoing but told they could not return to Portugal for five years.