The sister of England fan Andrew Williams today vowed to clear his name after he was kicked out of Portugal following violent clashes with police.

Nina Dawes, 30, of The Gilligans, Burgess Hill, insisted her 22-year-old brother took no part in the fighting that led to his arrest during the Euro 2004 tournament.

Williams was one of 12 men voluntarily deported from Portugal after violence erupted in Albufeira last Monday.

The trouble was condemned by Prime Minister Tony Blair and the prospect of the England team being thrown out of the tournament was also raised.

Williams was convicted by a Portuguese judge and given a seven-month jail term, suspended for three years.

He was banned from returning to Portugal for a year and arrived back in Britain on Thursday. He now faces a ban preventing him attending professional football matches.

But Mrs Dawes, a bank clerk and mother, claimed her brother had been the victim of police brutality during his night behind bars.

She said: "Andrew was treated dreadfully by the military police in Portugal. His human rights were taken from him.

"The fans were beaten with batons and hit round the head repeatedly while in custody. They were not allowed to sleep for 30 hours and had no access to solicitors or lawyers. Andrew has got huge bruises across his legs.

"He is totally innocent of any wrongdoing in Portugal. Andrew dislikes hooliganism as much as anyone else and thinks it brings shame on his country."

She said the Brighton and Hove Albion fan was arrested as trouble flared near the bar where he was drinking.

She said: "Andrew saw people throwing chairs and bottles but he in no way took part.

"He was just standing outside a bar with the Portuguese owner and a friend. The police came in, put him on the ground and took him away."

Mr Williams is now back at the family home in Ravenswood Road, Burgess Hill, with his mother Margaret, 53.

He will appear before Uxbridge magistrates in London on July 28 at a civil hearing brought by Scotland Yard to enforce banning orders.