Paris suburb sees fresh rioting

The mayor's house is now under police guard following the rioting

About 100 youths wielding baseball bats have fought French police in a Paris suburb, in the worst such violence since widespread riots in November.

The youths threw stones and petrol bombs at police in the town of Montfermeil overnight. They also hurled stones at the local mayor's home.

Seven officers were hurt in the clashes, which lasted several hours.

Police say the trouble began after the arrest on Monday of a young man suspected of assaulting a bus driver.

Three youths were arrested in the clashes, which left part of Montfermeil littered with broken glass and burnt rubbish, the French news agency AFP reported.

The home of Montfermeil's centre-right mayor, Xavier Lemoine, was stoned after he banned youths from gathering in big groups in the town centre last month.

The suburb lies next to Clichy-sous-Bois, the suburb which saw the first flare-up of rioting in November.

In the wave of riots last year, almost 9,000 cars were torched and 3,000 people arrested across France.