SICK: England fans (not pictured) gave a begging child a beer for coins, it has been claimed

The Paris correspondent for the Financial Times, Michael Stothard, claims a child, perhaps as young as seven, was made to finish a whole bottle of beer in exchange for cash.

England play Wales this afternoon in Lens and thousands of fans have been staying in nearby Lille ahead of the game.

Asked for more information on the incident on Twitter, he wrote: "I saw it, yes. He downed the bottle in five gulps to raucous cheers.

"Then was handed money. They gave him a cigarette too.

"But he threw the cigarette on the ground and stamped it out. The fans looked disappointed."

Stothard's claims came before further fan violence took place in the city last night which led to French police making at least 36 arrests.

Riot police charged at England fans and used tear gas and the incidents are reported to have injured 66 and put 16 in hospital.

On Monday, UEFA had threatened to disqualify England from the tournament if there was any more violence following the ugly scenes in Marseille surrounding their opening game against Russia.

French authorities said those arrested on Wednesday included six Russians involved in the violence in Marseille.

A Lille police spokesman said: “Those involved in the trouble face being charged with a number of public order offences, including gang violence."

All 33 schools and colleges in the town will be 'exceptionally shut for the day’ because of fears of children and students being caught up in more trouble.

Ex-England footballer Stan Collymore – now a radio pundit reporting from the scene – was tear-gassed.

Another five people were arrested for public drunkenness on a train from London that was stopped before it got to Lille and then allowed to continue.

Earlier, some English and Russian supporters had been detained after scuffles and hundreds of England fans were surrounded by riot police in the city's main square