DORTMUND, June 14 - Police detained at least 300 German and Polish fans following clashes ahead of their World Cup Group A match on Wednesday in the worst outbreak of trouble at the tournament so far.

Police detain a German soccer fan after the World Cup 2006 soccer match between Poland and Germany in Dortmund.[Reuters]

German fans pelted police with beer bottles, fireworks and the chairs and tables from restaurants near Dortmund's Alter Markt, according to a Reuters eyewitness.

In separate clashes nearby smaller groups of drunken German and Polish fans set on each other, police said.

A Reuters TV cameraman suffered slight injuries after he was punched in the back of the head during the violence.

Police said some people had been injured by missiles, but none of them were badly hurt. They added that fan held in custody would be released in stages while others would face charges.

"Expectations of trouble proved self-fulfilling and made things very difficult for police," said Dortmund police chief Hans Schulze.

"We needed people on almost every corner today as the potential for aggression was so high... there was not a good mood in Dortmund today," he added.

GERMAN HOOLIGANS

Hundreds of riot police closed off the Alter Markt in the early evening after police spotted known German hooligans who were behaving increasingly aggressively. They then moved in to take about 100 people away.

Police had earlier detained about 70 Polish fans known to authorities as "problem fans" some armed with metal batons and other dangerous objects.

At first the mood in Dortmund was largely friendly with noisy supporters drinking beer in the sunshine, but it turned darker as a group of German skinheads wearing black T-shirts and drinking on the Alter Markt began to behave threateningly.

"What surprised us was the sheer number of fans who showed themselves ready to turn aggressive," said Schulze, adding that of the 300 people detained about 120-130 were known hooligans.

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