Police detain around 50 German hooligans

BERLIN, June 20 (Reuters) Violence broke out in the historic centre of the World Cup host city of Cologne as police moved in to detain around 50 German hooligans and drunken soccer supporters started fights, police said today.

''We have detained some 50 German hooligans to avoid further provocation and violence,'' Cologne police spokesman Bernd Kalkum said. ''They were resisting their detention and it was not all peaceful.'' Kalkum added all the men detained were registered as trouble-makers and would be kept overnight.

There was more unrest across the historic city centre.

Reuters TV pictures showed police forces running in full riot gear through Cologne's cobbled city centre squares, detaining one English and one German fan.

Supporters threw glass bottles at each other and the police, while some fans were covered in blood, having their head and arm wounds tended to by first aid helpers.

Cologne's Rhein-Energie-Stadion hosted the Group B match between England and Sweden which ended in a 2-2 draw on Tuesday.

Germany had won their Group A match against Ecuador earlier today and will now play against Sweden.

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