Tens of thousands of England supporters descended on Gelsenkirchen for their team’s opening match against Serbia yesterday, which England won 1-nil.

Ahead of the match, a spokesperson for Gelsenkirchen Police said: “It’s no problem for fans to smoke cannabis on the street.

“If we see a group of people drinking alcohol and looking a bit aggressive, and another group smoking cannabis, of course we’ll look at the group drinking alcohol.

“Drinking alcohol can make someone more aggressive, and smoking cannabis puts people in a chill mood. We want to prevent violence and keep people safe.

“Our focus will be on fans who are drinking and potentially getting violent — that’s why we in place safety precautions on alcohol.”

Riot police ultimately did have to intervene in scuffles before and after the match, with one England fan and seven Serbia fans reportedly facing criminal charges.

Germany recently became the first major European country to legalise cannabis for personal recreational use.