Teen at origin of French youth riots arrested

Policemen watch one of their car burning in the town of Montfermeil east of Paris yesterday. Around 100 youths armed with sticks and baseball bats clashed with police in this Paris suburb the day before, in the worst such violence since the riots of November 2005. PHOTO: AFP

Muhittin Altun, who survived an electrocution in October when he hid out from police in a power sub-station, was detained late Tuesday in Clichy-sous-Bois, a poor neighbourhood northeast of Paris that was the epicentre of last year's violence.

Police said the 18-year-old had been pitching rocks at a police car. His lawyer denied the charge.

Altun was alleged to have joined in the fresh wave of rioting as it spread from nearby Montfermeil, where gangs attacked a police station, set ablaze cars and rained stones down on public buildings.

Police said four officers were wounded while protecting the Montfermeil police station from a hail of missiles.