Riot suspects free to go

Eleven people were injured in the violence

Nineteen English football fans arrested after Wednesday's violence in Denmark have been freed without charge and escorted from the country.

British police specialising in hooligan intelligence say they are disappointed the fans have not been charged and made to face justice.

Eleven people were injured in street battles between fans of Arsenal and Turkish side Galatasaray ahead of the Uefa Cup final in Copenhagen.

Meanwhile, there have been reports of minor skirmishes between departing English and Turkish fans at Copenhagen airport.

Police are trying to identify fans from news footage

Officers escorted the 19 fans to the airport on Thursday and told them they were banned from returning to Denmark.

Skirmishes broke out in the Danish capital on Tuesday night, leaving an Arsenal supporter with stab wounds.

Three more men were stabbed in further clashes on Wednesday in the run up to the match.

The rioting has prompted fears over security for the Euro 2000 tournament in Belgium and Holland, which begins in three weeks' time.

Mark Steels, a spokesman for the National Criminal Intelligence Service which co-ordinates police work against football hooliganism, said he was "disappointed" the alleged offenders would not be prosecuted.

Several Arsenal supporters were injured

"We have always asked, where there is evidence against English hooligans causing trouble abroad, that they should be put through the judicial process and convicted. It does act as a deterrent," he said.

Bryan Drew, from the police Football Intelligence Unit, said officers would be examining photographs and video footage of the Copenhagen violence.

He urged the public to denounce anyone they recognised taking part in the fighting.

The executive director of the English Football Association, David Davies, apologised to the people of Copenhagen and said there were "no excuses" for the rioting.

Mr Davies also suggested the UK Government may need to tighten controls to stop football hooligans travelling abroad for Euro 2000 matches.

"The most recent footballing legislation introduced by the government last year was, fairly late in the day if you like, softened somewhat on the very important grounds of people's civil liberties," he said.

David Davies: "There are absolutely no excuses"

The violence in Copenhagen came less than six weeks after two English fans were murdered in Istanbul on the eve of the semi-final tie between Leeds United and Galatasaray.

English and Turkish fans will again be in close proximity during Euro 2000 and fans involved in the latest clashes will be free to attend the matches.

To prevent known hooligans travelling abroad, they have to be convicted by a country with which Britain has a bilateral agreement to impose international banning orders.

Britain does not have a bilateral agreement with Denmark which, in any case, has decided not to prosecute those arrested in Copenhagen.

Prime Minister Tony Blair condemned the violence, but defended Britain's right to bid for competitions such as the 2006 World Cup.

"In this country we have the strongest possible safeguards on football violence," he said.

"The Euro 96 competition is probably the competition freest of football violence of any competition in recent years."