The Bradford stepmother of a soccer yob arrested and jailed in France today described him as "a loving person".

Father-of-three James Shayler, who used to live in West Bowling, Bradford, was jailed for two months on Monday after fighting broke out before England's match with Tunisia.

The Leeds United fan's father and stepmother still live in Low Moor and say he is not a thug and they were shocked at how he has been depicted in the Press.

"All I can put it down to is drinking," said his stepmother, who asked not to be named.

"He takes his three children to watch Leeds. He has never been involved in any trouble as far as we know.

"James is a really nice person, a loving person. He's quietly spoken and dotes on his children."

Shayler has been pictured leading the riots in Marseilles as English hooligans brought shame on the national side yet again.

A die-hard Leeds fan - he has Leeds United and a Yorkshire Rose tattooed on his arm and an England flag on his stomach - the 33-year-old has now been banned from Elland Road.

He lives in Wellingborough, Northants, with his common-law wife Marie, daughters Danielle, 11, and Helen, eight, and son Jack, who is nearly one. Shayler lived with his father and stepmother as a teenager in Bradford and went to school in West Bowling.

His distraught stepmother said: "He will be devastated he has been banned from watching Leeds United. James is not a football hooligan. What has been said is all lies.

"He likes a drink, like every man his age. But this is not like him at all. I have never, never, never seen him act like this before. Normally he would just walk away from trouble.

"I can truthfully say I have never known him be involved in any violence or fighting."

l The city of Toulouse was today nervously awaiting the arrival of thousands of England football fans, whose reputation for drunken rampaging has preceded them from Marseille.

In a series of emergency measures aimed at preventing hooliganism around Monday's World Cup match between England and Romania in the city, the region's Prefect has banned the sale of beer in bottles, ordered bars and cafes to close at 11pm, and cancelled the live transmission of the game on a giant video screen.

But local people are sceptical about whether these moves, along with the reinforcement of the city's police, with two companies from the CRS anti-riot squad, will be enough to protect them from the expected invasion.

Toulouse's Municipal Stadium today plays host to the Group C clash between Denmark and South Africa, and supporters of both teams have been strolling in the 2,000-year-old "Rose City".

But they have been well-behaved and locals said that the only supporters whose arrival caused them concern were the English.

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