A NORTH-EAST police chief fears a new breed of hooligans is following the England football team.

The warning, following weekend violence involving England fans in Switzerland and Liechtenstein, will put police in the region on extra alert in the build-up to Wednesday's potentially volatile match between the national team and Turkey, in Sunderland.

Northumbria Police plan a high-profile presence through out the city during the day to prevent clashes between England fans and up to 4,000 Turks heading from across Europe to the Stadium of Light.

Publicans have been told to employ door staff from mid-day and serve drinks only in plastic containers.

Local officers will work with trained spotters from the National Criminal Intelligence Service, to root out known troublemakers. But a similar operation failed to stop violence before England's match in Liechtenstein on Saturday.

Three England fans were shot and two were stabbed in clashes in the nearby Swiss city of Zurich.

However, all ten football fans arrested over the weekend have been released without charge, prompting allegations that police had over- reacted.

Scuffles broke out on Saturday in Liechtenstein's capital, Vaduz, and in Zurich, where police responded with rubber bullets.

The five fans injured in Zurich on Saturday morning were being treated in two Swiss hospitals.

Three men suffered gun shot wounds to their legs in disturbances that broke out in of Zurich's old town.

Durham's Assistant Chief Constable, Ron Hogg, seconded to the Association of Chief Police Officers to oversee security for England matches, said English fans had to bear some responsibility.

"They were disgraceful scenes," he said. "We did not have this match down as a high-risk game, but I don't think that was a breakdown of intelligence."

He said many of the people involved were not known to police, adding: "We have some real concerns that a new generation of hooligans is emerging.

"There were about 100 involved in the disorder. It is quite clear the behaviour we have seen is from a minority of fans.

"The majority are decent people, but this disgraceful behaviour is not to be condoned."

Newcastle United supporter Kevin Miles, the Football Supporters' Association's international co-ordinator, said the use of tear gas by police in Vaduz "brought out the worst in the minority of troublemakers"