All quiet after football disappointment

POLICE and ambulance crews in Suffolk have today reported a quiet night following England's defeat in their opening Euro 2004 match.

Fans throughout the county kept their emotions under control after the dramatic loss.

Suffolk police were called to just four incidents throughout the night, two in the town and two in Sudbury, but all four have been described as minor.

Elsewhere in England, a total of 83 arrests were made as a surge of violence erupted following French captain Zinedine Zidane's late double strike.

Two police cars were overturned and set alight in Boston and a group of up to 70 people threw bricks and bottles. An off-licence was also set alight and raided.

Eleven people were arrested and more arrests are expected.

Up to 400 people were involved in disturbances in Croydon town centre as 12 people were arrested.

Bottles were thrown at police and superintendent Nick Jupp, of Croydon Police, condemned the post-match violence.

He said: "I deplore the level of violence seen in Croydon last night. It is totally unacceptable for police officers to be injured as a result of a small minority of people reacting to a football result in this manner."

Twelve people were arrested in Birmingham where more than 200 ran amok through the city centre.

In Hertfordshire, 31 people were arrested with the worst incident in Cheshunt where up to 60 officers dispersed a crowd of 150.

In Wakefield, a crowd of several hundred were involved in disturbances. Seventeen people were arrested for serious public disorder offences after bottles and other missiles were thrown at bouncers and police.

Two people were arrested in Cambridge after fighting broke out in a street shortly after the final whistle.

A spokesman said around 50 people were involved in the brawl and a number of officers were called to restore order.