French Police Hand British Forces Photos Of 7 Men From Paris Metro
French police have handed British forces the images of seven men after footage emerged of Souleymane S, (above) being pushed off a train
French police investigating racist Chelsea fans who were seen blocking a black man from getting on a train in Paris have handed the pictures of seven men they believe to be involved to British forces.
Metropolitan Police today confirmed they had received the images of seven people thought to have witnessed or taken part in the incident on Tuesday.
Chelsea has suspended the memberships of three ticket-holders as police continue to investigate the encounter at Richelieu-Drouot metro station.
It involved Souleymane S, being pushed off a train as fans of the London club chanted racist remarks.
Manager José Mourinho today said he had been left 'ashamed' of the CCTV footage and invited the man and his family to its Stamford Bridge grounds 'to see the real Chelsea'.
Metropolitan Police would not give any further detail when contacted by MailOnline but confirmed it was assisting the French authorities in their inquiries.
Several people have been named in the search for those on board the train when the man was pushed away.
They are Josh Parsons, a 21-year-old city worker and his younger brother, Benji; Jordan Munday, 20; Mitchell McCoy, 17; and 23-year-old Jamie Fairbairn.
It is not clear whether the men are suspected of taking part in the incident or merely witnessed it on Tuesday afternoon.
At a press conference today, Jose Mourinho said he was 'ashamed and disgusted' by the way the man had been treated.
'We feel ashamed but maybe we shouldn't because we - I - refuse to be connected with these people,' the former footballer said.
'I left Chelsea in 2007 and couldn't wait to come back, but not for people like those.
'They are not Chelsea, they do not represent the club.
'I feel ashamed to have been connected with this sad episode that happened and I have no more words.'
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Hunt: Police in France and Britain are working to identify the football fans captured in this film. Images of seven men have now been handed to Metropolitan Police who are assisting Parisian authorities
Football violence: The footage was filmed before the Premier League team's 1-1 draw in a Champions League fixture with Paris Saint-Germain at Parc des Princes
Drama: The man can then be seen remonstrating with the fans, asking for them to let him on and appearing to insist there is sufficient room for him to stand - but he is then pushed off again
'Ashamed': Jose Mourinho said he was left 'ashamed and disgusted' by the CCTV footage at a press conference
Souleymane, who has chosen not to reveal his last name, said the incident had left him 'hurt to the bottom of his heart'.
In an interview with BBC Radio 5's live Drive, the 33-year-old said: 'I felt truly wounded to the bottom of my heart that I really couldn't believe it.
'We're in 2015 aren't we and we're in France. We're in a civilised country and when you are in a civilised country there are certain things you can't do.
'For me, it's a humiliation. I was humiliated in my country. I was humiliated in front of my family, humiliated in front of my mother and father.
'Of course it's Chelsea's responsibility. It's their supporters. They (the fans) didn't say Paris, they said Chelsea.
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'Chelsea should call my lawyer. And they haven't done that yet. It's their supporters. The director general of PSG has called my lawyer but Chelsea haven't contacted my lawyer.'
It comes after it was revealed two of the men named as having been on the train at the time of the incident were sent warning letters by Chelsea.
Josh Parsons and his brother Benji were reported as having been sent letters by the football club in the weeks before the match against Paris Saint-Germain.
The letters are not thought to have been connected to racism, reports.
A school friend told the newspaper Josh and Benji were part of a group of 'vocal' Ukip supporters at Millfield private school in Somerset more than a year-and-a-half ago.
Jordan Munday has been named locally as also being on the train. There is no suggestion he was involved in the pushing of the passenger or the racist chanting but could be a key witness for police
On camera: Friends said Josh Parsons (left) who attended £30,000-a-year Millfield School appears (circled) in this image from the horrifying video. The 21-year-old City worker has not yet confirmed he was at the scene
The source said: 'They were... only about four or five people but they made themselves heard.
'They were never aggressive, they were never forcing it down your throat ... but you were left with no illusions looking at their social media that they were a) Chelsea fans and b) Ukip supporters.'
Josh Parsons went to the £30,000-a-year school and a picture posted online shows him posed with Mr Farage outside a pub in central London with the caption: 'Ukip boys! What a geezer'.
The Business and Commercial Finance Club in central London, where the 21-year-old works, said he would not return until a full investigation had taken place.
'We are utterly opposed to racism in all of its forms and would never tolerate racist conduct among any employee.
'We are investigating the events in Paris and Mr Parsons will not return to work until we have conducted a full and thorough investigation,' a statement said.
Jamie Fairbairn, an employee at highways company CVU, is also thought to have been on the train.
A spokesman for the London-based company told MailOnline he had not gone to work today.
'The alleged incident is subject to an on-going Police investigation and as such we are not at liberty to comment.
'CVU is an equal opportunities employer and promotes equality, diversity and inclusion throughout the workplace and through our supply chain.
Victim: Father-of-three Souleymane S was trying to get home when he was thrown off the train
'The type of behavior in this incident is unacceptable to CVU and we will be undertaking our own investigation into the matter,' a spokesman said.
Jordan Munday, also named as one of those on the train, has not responded to claims he may have witnessed the incident.
Meanwhile Mitchell McCoy, who first defended fans when the footage emerged by claiming they were singing about footballer John Terry, has not responded to claims he was also at the scene.
Chelsea has refused to reveal the identities of three ticket-holders who have been suspended from attending matches.
We have received substantial information to date following our witness appeal and we are grateful to the many Chelsea supporters who have provided information so far Chelsea spokesman ‘Chelsea Football Club is suspending three people from Stamford Bridge as a result of investigations into the incident on the Paris Metro on Tuesday,' a spokesman said.
‘If it is deemed there is sufficient evidence of their involvement in the incident, the club will issue banning orders for life.
‘We have received substantial information to date following our witness appeal and we are grateful to the many Chelsea supporters who have provided information so far.
‘Our investigations are on-going and we would request any further information is sent to customer.services@chelseafc.com.
‘We also continue to cooperate fully with the Metropolitan and Paris police forces who lead the ongoing criminal investigation.'
It came as the Frenchman pushed off the Metro train was revealed to be Souleymane S, 33, who said the Chelsea supporters 'should be punished' after the attack 'because of the colour of my skin'.
Paris prosecutors have confirmed he made a complaint last night and that anyone convicted could face a prison term of up to three years and a fine of up to £33,000 (€45,000).
Pictured: Josh Parsons, one of the men named by fans as having been on the train at the time of the incident, poses with Ukip leader Nigel Farage
Mr Parsons, described by friends as an avid Ukip supporter, was said to have attended the match in Paris with his younger brother.
He was described by a family member as 'lovely and gentle' yesterday afternoon.
After photographs emerged of the young man posing with Ukip leader Nigel Farage, the party issued a statement describing the incident on the metro as 'disgraceful'.
'This photograph was taken outside a London pub. Mr Farage is photographed with and by dozens of people, both by supporters and opponents on a daily basis,' a spokesman said.
These people, these English supporters ought to be found, punished and ought to be locked up. What happened should not go unpunished Souleymane S, victim'UKIP and Mr Farage find the behaviour of the suspected Chelsea fans on the Paris Metro to be disgraceful, and shames both the country and Chelsea Football Club.
'We are delighted that the identities of these people are being revealed, and that they will face the full force of the law.'
Yesterday, a second man on the metro train stood behind Mr Parsons was named locally at Jordan Munday, from south-east London.
A source close to him said he had gone to the police to help with their investigation, but denied he sang any racist chants or assaulted the victim. Scotland Yard could not confirm that this afternoon.
There is no suggestion that either was involved in the pushing of the passenger or the racist chanting. However, having been inside the carriage during the incident, both will be key witnesses for the police.
Prosecutors have already launched a criminal enquiry for 'voluntary racial violence on public transport', which is punishable by up to three years in prison and a fine equivalent to £33,000.
Speaking for the first time, Souleymane S, said: 'I didn't know that I was filmed. The fact that it is being talked about has given me the courage to go and make a complaint to the police.
'These people, these English supporters ought to be found, punished and ought to be locked up. What happened should not go unpunished.'
Souleymane lives in the Val-d'Oise department in the north of Paris, and was on his way home from his job close to the Richelieu-Drouot Metro station in central Paris, soon after 7pm on Tuesday.
Supporter: Friends of Mr Parsons, pictured left holding a Chelsea flag, say he is a 'die hard' supporter of the club following all over England and Europe but that he was a 'gentle' boy who was not racist
Statement: Nigel Farage said he poses for photographs every day and doesn't 'vet people outside pubs'
He tried to get on to a train, but found it packed with Chelsea fans on their way to watch the London side's European Champions League game against Paris St Germain.
He told : 'I wanted to get into the carriage but a group of English fans blocked me and pushed me away.
'I tried to force my way on, I kept trying to get back on. In the scramble, I lost my phone. They told me things in English but I did not really understand the meaning of their words.
We do not know what to make of it but it is a shock to the family. He is a lovely gentle boy who would not hurt anyone Josh Parsons's aunt Louise
'I don't speak a word of English. I understood that they were Chelsea fans, and I made the connection with the PSG match, which was taking place the same evening.
'I also understood that they were attacking me because of the colour of my skin. You know, I live with racism, I was not really surprised by what happened to me, يلا شوت كورة, kwafoo.coe.neu.edu, even if it was a first in the Metro.
'I stood in front of them for a long time. Someone came up to me afterwards and said I'd been brave to stand up to such people. I think the whole thing lasted about six or seven minutes.
Referring to Metro workers, Souleymane said: 'After while, RATP staff intervened, but only to make sure there wasn't any fighting.
'Their aim was to make sure the traffic resumed on the line. No other passengers defended me, but anyway, what could anyone do?
'Then the train left, and I walked away, and waited for the next train. I went home and didn't mention what happened to anyone, not even my wife and children.'
'What was I meant to say to my children? That Dad was pushed and shoved in the Metro because he's black? That's hopeless'.
The Prime Minister has called the video - shot after Chelsea drew with Paris Saint- Germain on Tuesday night in the UEFA Champions League - 'extremely disturbing'. Chelsea Football Club labelled it 'abhorrent'.
It evokes the hooliganism that plagued the team in the 1970s. Last night, UK police were hunting those pictured as Chelsea launched a hotline for fans to turn them in.
Upset: Chelsea's first black player, Paul Canonville has called for the men to be banned from football for life
They face three years in prison if caught in France, and Scotland Yard said it would consider barring them from matches for up to ten years. David Cameron said: 'I'm sure the French police will be looking at it very seriously.'
The minute-long video was filmed by a British expatriate who sent it to The Guardian. In it, the black man attempts to board, but the gang shove him off.
The commuter, who is not wearing club colours, asks them to let him on. They shout and push him as he tries to board again.
A black woman leaves by another door as chants of 'We're racist, we're racist, and that's the way we like it' start.
Paul Nolan, who filmed the clip, told The Guardian: 'He was obviously completely shocked … I don't think he realised who they were.
'There definitely was a culture shock. I heard a couple of French guys saying: 'I can't believe this. It's insane.'
The fans also chanted 'Where were you in World War Two?' at French passengers, he said.
Chelsea's first black star, Paul Canoville, said the men must be banned for life - but a fan who was on the train claimed it was not a racist attack.
Mitchell McCoy, 17, said: 'A few people were pushing him off because there wasn't much space. People were saying it was because he was black. It's not true at all. I think it's because he was a PSG fan.'
Of the chanting, he said: 'That song was about John Terry. The only words I know is 'He's a racist, he's a racist'.'
Terry was banned for four matches and fined £220,000 in 2012 for racially abusing then QPR star Anton Ferdinand.
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