FOOTBALL fans caught up in violence in Rome were last night scathing about their treatment at the hands of the police.

While supporters praised the help they got from travelling officers from Teesside, they condemned Italian police for their handling of the mayhem.

Riot police were accused of baton-charging innocent Middlesbrough followers and failing to act to prevent extremist "Ultras" ambushing them.

Three Boro fans were stabbed and a further ten were injured when trouble flared in a city centre square on Tuesday night.

A gang of organised masked youths, armed with knives, hand axes, bicycle chains and sticks, threw fire-crackers and flares into the square before baton-wielding police moved in and allegedly rounded up the English.

Following the Uefa Cup tie on Wednesday night, the 3,500 Boro fans were held back in the Olympic Stadium for almost two hours to prevent a repeat.

But many fans said while they accepted there was a need to separate the rival supporters, they were angered at being held back so long.

Once they were hoarded on to buses, they said they were driven en-masse to a dark park and dumped at 3am, without any way of getting to their hotels.

Sam Andrews, 40, an electrician from Middlesbrough, who was caught up in both dramas, said: "The police did nothing to prevent the trouble in the square but once the Italians had left they showed their force - against us."

Gary Smith, 38, from Stokesley, North Yorkshire, added: "It was absolutely horrendous. After we were dumped in the park there was no authority and nobody was there to take responsibility.

"In this day and age, the police and the authorities should work to a common set of codes but, even though we were in a modern tourist city, it was more like being in the Eastern bloc."

Father-of-two Peter Green, 43, from Stockton, was hit with a cosh and then a police baton and his 18-year-old son Andrew was stabbed, but he claimed he got no help from the police when his family went to hospital.

One of the stab victims, David Allison, discharged himself from hospital against advice to watch the game against AS Roma but was rushed back when he became ill half-way through the tie.

The Northern Echo understands the 39-year-old was last night being treated for internal bleeding at the city's San Giacomo Hospital.