Euro 2016: French police step in to stop local hooligans' attack on England supporters in Saint Etienne

French police prevented a group of local hooligans attempting to attack English supporters in Saint Etienne on Sunday night, as another huge group of the travelling fan base gathered in the town.

England fans said the local contingent looking for trouble numbered around 30 and were dressed in black with red crosses emblazoned on their arms. They threw bottles at the English supporters but were intercepted by French police who were monitoring the square from positions surrounding it.

One bar, the Wallace, closed when it seemed that trouble was about to break out. In an interpretation of events which mirrored the trouble 48 hours out from the match against Russia in Marseille on 11 June, a member of staff at the Wallace said that a group of locals had arrived intent on provoking the English. He said that groups of youths from outlying areas of the city were known for this.

The atmosphere here in the Massif Central was far less tense on the eve of Roy Hodgson's team's last group match of Euro 2016, against Slovakia, than in Lille or Marseille, with no sign of the Russian contingent which attached and hospitalised the English on France's south coast. But the English presence was felt, with the '50 German bombers' anthem again among those heard.

Around 1,000 supporters were in the main square, where France's game with Switzerland was shown on two big screens. This provided a focus for supporters who mixed with French. A huge St George's cross flag with an image of a bulldog covered a quarter of one side of the attractive town square and banners were draped from first floor windows.

But local handling of the travelling thousands was far more organised and thought out than in Lille and Marseille. In particular, the use of a sound system worked well throughout Sunday - with songs such as 'Always look on the Bright Side of Life' and 'One Step Beyond' by Madness winning a huge reception.