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A Manchester police officer today told of how he was kicked and punched by marauding Glasgow Rangers fans as they unleashed “unbelievable” violence following the team’s defeat in the Uefa Cup Final.

Pc Mick Regan said that the street riots were started by a hardcore minority of “a few thousand” troublemakers among the 100,000 fans who watched Rangers’ 2-0 defeat to Zenit St Petersburg in Manchester on Wednesday.

The violence, which Pc Regan described as “frightening”, broke out when a big screen due to broadcast the game to 20,000 fans in the city centre failed before kick-off.

“From the outset we were bombarded with bottles and cans as we tried to contain and disperse the crowd,” he said.

“It was unbelievable when we got there, it was already in motion. It was frightening, on a different scale from any other match I have worked in my 23-year career.

“It seemed the vast majority were drunk and they just wanted to cause trouble.

“A lot of the fans were OK and just asking for directions but there was a large hard core.”

In CCTV footage, Pc Regan and six other officers are seen retreating down a city centre street at about 10.15pm as fans bombarded them with cans, bottles and rubbish.

After confronting the pack, Pc Regan is punched before one of the mob trips him up and he falls to the ground.

A gang of about 20 fans then descend on the 47-year-old, repeatedly kicking and stamping on him before he escapes.

He said: “We made a tactical withdraw and they overran us. The crowd was extremely hostile and made up of men and women of all ages.

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