Champions League: Welsh Liverpool fans say they were 'treated like animals'

Liverpool fans from Wales have claimed they were treated like "animals" at Saturday's Champions League final.

The Paris match - which Liverpool lost to Real Madrid - had its kick-off delayed for 30 minutes.

European football's governing body, Uefa, cited "security concerns" for the delay, and claimed thousands of fans tried to enter with fake tickets.

Merseyside Police - which had officers in Paris - said the vast majority of fans behaved in an exemplary manner.

Liverpool fans have reported highly distressing scenes as tear gas was fired at them by police, and children had to be pulled out of crowds to avoid being crushed.

Father and son Richard and Tomi Vaughan from Tywyn, Gwynedd, were at the match, with Richard claiming they were treated worse than animals.

"In light of what's happened at stadiums before from a safety point of view - and with what's happened to Liverpool supporters in the past - lessons seem to have not been learned from that," said Richard.

"I'm a farmer and I wouldn't treat my livestock the way we were treated, and the way I was manhandled by the police last night. It was an absolute disgrace we were so squashed up we just couldn't move."

Tomi said: "I was unfortunately at the very front of this queue when they brought out the tear gas. I couldn't breath at all.

"I was coughing, tears running down my face. I couldn't see. It was awful.

"That was when riot police came in and one officer hit me with their shield and bat and knocked me back to outside of the ground again. I was scared for my life"

Dylan Wyn Roberts, from Bow Street, Ceredigion, who was also at the match with his son Tomos, said: "It was the worst experience of my life at a football game."

Dylan said the organisation at the entry gates was so poor that a number of fans with valid tickets decided to leave and miss the game.

"The police appeared just before kick-off and that's when the heavy tactics of tear gas and pepper spray were let off," said Dylan.

"We eventually got in, but organisation was poor - the number of women and children I saw crying was just really disturbing."

Tomos called the experience "horrible". He saw children being pulled out of the crowd because they were being crushed.

"There was tear gas everywhere, we all got separated in the queue and it was unnerving not knowing where your group was.

"There was no mobile signal. It was horrible," Tomos added.

"We heard they were blaming Liverpool fans for turning up late. That was nonsense because they were there hours before."

Liverpool FC has called for an investigation and Uefa said it was "sympathetic to those affected by the events" and will review matters further.

The French sports ministry said it had called a meeting with Uefa, the French Football Association, stadium officials and police on Monday to "draw lessons" from the event.

UK Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries urged Uefa to formally investigate the "deeply concerning" scenes and said it was in everyone's interest to "learn lessons".