THE mother of a teenager caught on camera during the riots in Marseille today said: "I want everyone to know my son is no thug."

Jackie Wilkinson, of Lanehead, Burnley, said she was shocked to see her son in the background of a photograph on the front of the Lancashire Evening Telegraph in his Burnley shirt.

The same picture, left, put out by an international news agency, also appeared in other newspapers with a fan wearing an Accrington Stanley shirt in the foreground waving a table.

She said: "He has described what is happening out there as terrifying. He has never been abroad to watch a football match before. This will be his first and last trip.

"Paul has rung me eight times since he got there because he knew I would be worried about him with what has been happening out there.

"He went with four friends including Scott Bell from Pendle who he works with and they are staying in Marseille. He has never been in any sort of trouble." Mrs Wilkinson said her 18-year-old son was devastated by what he had seen in Marseille.

He has been a Clarets fan since he was four and is a season ticket holder at Turf Moor.

Mrs Wilkinson said: "Last night they were so terrified they didn't go out to celebrate England's win. They stayed in the bar and were locked in.

"He rang me again last night at midnight to say he was staying in the hotel bar. They had drunk the bar dry of lager and were now drinking wine."

Also on the coach with Paul and Scott was Gary Walker, from Lancaster Drive, Hapton, who had his neck slashed.

Mrs Wilkinson said she couldn't wait for her son to be back at home. He had no plans to return for any other games even if England won through to the final.

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