Gun found after Celtic fan is shot

The bar was crowded at the time of the shooting

Dutch police have recovered a gun and clothes which they believe were droped by a man who shot a Celtic fan in an Amsterdam bar.

Lewis Rodden, 41, is serious but stable in hospital following the wounding on Wednesday afternoon. He is expected to be released in the next few days.

Officers believe that Mr Rodden was probably the target of a petty thief and confirmed on Thursday that pickpocket gangs are rife along the city's famous canal banks.

They believe Mr Rodden, from Summerston in Glasgow, had spotted the thief in the crowded bar where the shooting took place.

Mr Rodden is covering in hospital

Police understand that the gunman fired for fear of being arrested.

Dutch detectives have recovered what they think is the gun which was used, but are still appealing for witnesses to come forward.

Mr Rodden, who had travelled to the Netherlands to see his team play Ajax in a Champions League qualifier, was shot in the chest in Teaser's bar in the city centre.

He had been drinking in the bar at 1330 BST on Wednesday when the incident happened.

Mr Rodden's wife Janice is now at his bedside along with the couple's two young sons who were with their father when he was shot.

'Not football-related'

Celtic and Ajax fans had been mingling with Ajax fans in the bar before the teams' Champions League first leg qualifying tie, which Celtic won 3-1.

The victim was wearing a Celtic shirt at the time of the shooting, but the club said the incident was not football-related.

Celtic and Ajax fans were in the bar

A police spokesman explained that the bar where the incident happened was very crowded and "rather noisy".

He added: "There were an estimated 100 people inside. No provable arguments for the shooting have come up. It just happened that the victim was hit by a bullet."

The police said there were no apparent witnesses to the shooting, but three men were seen leaving the bar immediately afterwards.

"One of the them is believed to be the shooter. A number of visitors followed the suspect. The suspect dropped his gun and then disappeared," he added.

About 12,000 Celtic fans travelled to Amsterdam for the match and police described the atmosphere in the build-up to the game as "excellent".

'Shocked at news'

However, there were reports of several scuffles as rumours spread about the shooting.

A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office confirmed that a man "with Scottish connections" had been injured in a shooting in a bar in the city.

A Celtic spokesman said: "Celtic Football Club is shocked to hear of this incident and is working with the British Consul, Strathclyde Police and the Dutch authorities to ensure that the man and his family receive all the help and support we can provide.

"We will be doing what we can to help our supporter and his family at this difficult time."