British Marseille hooligans jailed, Russians still free

Two British football hooligans were jailed in France on Monday, the first of the England and Russia fans who clashed over the weekend to face a court. But none of the Russians involved in the fighting in Marseille have yet been caught and two Russian MPs have congratulated them for their part in the chaos.

Fighting in the Marseille stadium on Saturday Reuters

Psychiatric nurse Ian Hepworth, 41, was condemned to three months in prison and cook Alexander Booth, 21, was jailed for two months by the Marseille court and both were banned from French soil for two years.

Hepworth, who admitted throwing a bottle towards police in the city centre, apologised to the court.

"I wanted to impress my new French friends," he said.

Booth admitted throwing a plastic mug full of beer at police and making an obscene gesture but prosecutors claimed he threw a bottle and aimed at the officers' legs.

He also apologised for his behaviour.

Ten fans involved in the fighting, in which 35 people were injured, were due to appear in court Monday.

Six of them were British, one Austrian and three French.

But none of the 150 Russians, described as "extremely well trained" by prosecutors, have been arrested.

Russian MPs praise hooligans

Although Russian Sports Minister Vitali Moutko has slammed their "bad behaviour" two Russian MPs have praised them.

"I don't see what's wrong with fans fighting," Igor Lebedev, who is a member of the executive of the Russian football federation, tweeted. "Rather the opposite. Well done, boys!"

Lebedev is an MP and the son of ultra-nationalist leader Vladimir Jirinovsky.

Independent Moscow MP Maxim Motin also defended the hooligans.

"The Russian fans did nothing criminal or overboard," he told Russian TV.