Euro 2016: Shrewsbury football fans tell of terror as Russians ran at them

The 26-year-olds, all from Shrewsbury, ran for the exits of Stade Velodrome in Marseille after Russians in their stand – some of who were wearing balaclavas – charged at them.

Craig Owen, from Sundorne, today revealed how the mood swiftly turned sour at the end of Saturday's Group B fixture, where Russia clinched a 1-1 draw following an injury time equaliser.

He said: "It was just before the final whistle after the equaliser. We were, as you're facing the pitch, on the far left of the stand.

"One of my mates had gone down to the front to get the Joe Hart flag we had taken out there.

"Then there must have been a smoke bomb or something go off, there was this massive bang, we don't really know what it was.

"Then suddenly there were just lots of people running towards us.

"I turned to my friend and said 'Run', but he thought I was joking. So I said, 'Seriously, run'.

"We ran to the metal fence, and there were people climbing over it and there was just nowhere to go.

"We didn't really have any idea what was going to happen.

"It was pretty terrifying."

Mr Owen, who was at the game with his friends Ben Gough, Rob Caldwell and Luke Tense, said things seemed to calm down at that point.

They then tried to run to the exit, where problems started again with Russian fans running towards them.

He said: "They came running up to us, there were some with balaclavas round their mouths – it must have been planned.

"Every single entrance they were there.

"Some were throwing bottles, we just ran to get outside."

The friends, who are from the Sundorne and Sutton Farm areas of Shrewsbury, said they barely saw any other problems.

On the way to the stadium in Marseille, they experienced police firing tear gas, but couldn't see what had prompted the move.

England were today playing Wales in Lens, where French police were expected to provide a "greater police presence" inside and outside.