An England fan had his ear bitten off during the World Cup game between England and Uruguay. The attacker was another England fan. The victim was left with part of his left ear lobe ripped off.

The attack happened after the Group D game between England and Uruguay in Sao Paulo on June 19, which England lost 2-1. Former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore had seen footage of the attack earlier this week and tweeted about the incident in recent days, claiming the story would be “the biggest story in the UK, especially who did it.”

The incident appears to have been racially motivated as in the video of the incident the victim says: “He bit my ear off and called me a black ****.” The attacker also told the victim: “You shouldn’t be supporting England.”

Footage of the attack emerged last night as The Sunday People released a video showing what appears to be a brawl breaking out in the stands before a man is led away and other England fans go to the aid of the victim.

Chief Superintendent Rachel Barber said: “We were made aware during the England versus Uruguay match in Sao Paulo that an incident had taken place which resulted in an England fan having a portion of his ear bitten off by another England fan.

“In the immediate aftermath, we managed to make contact with the victim and offered advice and support.

“The day after the attack, the victim chose to make a formal complaint to the local police, and they opened an investigation.”

Police searched for the attacker at England’s final World Cup game, against Costa Rica in Belo Horizonte, in the belief that the man might attend the game, however they were unable to find the attacker.

A British Foreign Office spokesperson said: “We are aware of an incident in Sao Paulo on June 19 involving a British national and we provided consular assistance.”

England lost the game 2-1, effectively eliminating them from the tournament.