ONE person was killed and several others injured after violent clashes between followers of rival Dutch clubs Ajax Amsterdam and Feyenoord Rotterdam yesterday afternoon.

Police said they had not yet identified the body. The injured were taken to a nearby hospital but there was no immediate word on their condition.

Most of the injured being treated after the clash in an area between the Noordzeekanaal and the A9 Haarlem Amsterdam motorway, were Ajax fans. Feyenoord fans loaded their injured into cars and drove away before police arrived.

Police said they had been taken by surprise after receiving information that a confrontation might take place at another venue.

Witnesses said sticks, batons and hammers were amongst the weapons used by the supporters, put at several hundred. Several cars were set alight.

Yesterday's incident is the latest in a long history of violence between The Netherland's two biggest clubs. On February 16th, police seized some 200 weapons, including baseball bats, knives, Molotov cocktails and electric cattle prods, after another pre arranged fight between Ajax and Feyenoord fans near a motorway leading out of Amsterdam.