Police watched fans during the game

England have

More than 20 English football supporters have been arrested in Luxembourg after a night of violence.

The fans are being held for drunkenness, fighting and stealing after England was knocked out of the European Championship in spite of beating Luxembourg.

Denmark's victory over Greece earlier on Wednesday meant England finished second in their group and do not qualify for the finals next year.

The fans were not placated by a 4-0 win over Luxembourg and trouble started inside the stadium during which two police officers were badly hurt.

Afterwards England supporters raced through the city centre overturning cars and smashing shop windows.

About 500 police officers and 150 soldiers were on duty in an attempt to head off trouble.

They were hoping to prevent a repeat of violent disturbances in 1977 when England fans also ran riot.

But the omens had not been good with trouble flaring before many of the 2,000 fans even reached their destination.

On Tuesday about 20 English men beat up a railway employee in Belgium and four police officers needed hospital treatment after fighting broke out among drunken fans who got off a ferry in Ostend.

At the height of Wednesday night's violence riot police from neighbouring West Germany had to be drafted in to help the over-stretched Luxembourg forces.

Weapons seized included axes and aerosol cans filled with tear gas.

Many England supporters spent the night on the streets because local hotels refused to take them in.

Finally they were herded to the railway station by the security forces where a train, brought forward by five hours, was waiting to take them to the ferry port in Ostend, Belgium.

Those arrested are being kept in custody overnight and are expected to appear in court tomorrow.   

The gang twice tried to rob the Bank of America

The raid at the Bank of America in Mayfair, London, last year is believed to be the world's biggest.

Passing sentence, Judge Alan King-Hamilton said he was determined the thieves would not enjoy the fruits of their haul, only ?00,000 of which has been recovered.

"What has been concealed will remain salted away so far as you are concerned for a great many years.

"Whatever has happened to it, it will not be used for your benefit," Judge King-Hamilton said.

Key evidence in the trial came from Stuart Buckley, the "inside man" who turned police informant.

Buckley, who worked at the bank as an electrician, told officers the raid was the gang's second attempt.

They had previously tried unsuccessfully to drill through the bank vault's lock.

Buckley finally obtained the combination by hiding in the roof space above the vault door and peering through a hole in the ceiling as officials opened it.

Judge King-Hamilton passed the longest sentences on those considered to be the ringleaders.

Safe-cracker Leonard Wilde was sent to jail for 23 years and Peter Colson, 32, a used car dealer, for 21 years.

The judge also ordered criminal bankruptcy orders for ?00,000 against both men.

Others in the gang were sentenced to periods ranging from 18 years for robbery to three years for receiving stolen goods.

However, the man said to have masterminded the crime appears to have escaped justice.

Frank Maple left Britain shortly after the robbery and is now believed to be in the African state of Morocco which has no extradition treaty with the UK.

omen: a sign of something about to happen（预兆；征兆）