Angry England fans vented their frustration at their team's shock last-minute defeat by France last night.

Police reported incidents of rowdy and disorderly behaviour across South Essex, as the high spirits of drunken fans turned to bitter disappointment.

Southend Police reported a number of angry scuffles which broke out after the final whistle.

A spokeswoman for the force said: "There were high passions during the game and a few fights were reported after the match, but there was nothing serious and no reported injuries.

"Compared to other parts of the county, fans in Southend were fairly well behaved and there was no more trouble than you would expect after a busy night."

Several men were still in custody this morning after police made several arrests in Rayleigh after a fight at one pub.

A Rayleigh police spokesman said: "The men are yet to be questioned in relation to the fracas, and it is not yet known whether the matter was football related."

In Billericay, police were called to move on a crowd of more than 50 rowdy supporters after they spilled on to the High Street, but no arrests were made.

Published Monday June 14, 2004

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