Two people were jailed and another handed a suspended sentence by a court in north-west France after four nights of riots in the town of Tourcoing, which saw 23 arrests. The violence erupted after the death of the passenger of a car that refused to stop for police on Sunday night.

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One of the accused was sentenced to six months in jail plus 12 suspended for having driven a car at police at speed, while the second was jailed for six months, plus another month of a previous suspended sentence, for having thrown projectiles at the police.

The court in Lille also gave a six-month suspended sentence and 210 hours of community service for unlawful assembly.

The judgement on three minors who appeared in juvenile court had not been made public on Saturday.

The Bourgogne district, a deprived neighbourhood with 50 per cent youth unemployment, calmer on Friday night after four days of youths clashing with police and setting fire to cars.

Firefighters reported six callouts for burning vehicles and four for burning rubbish in Tourcoing and nearby Roubaix, which was also affected by the violence.

The riots started on Monday night following news of the death of the passenger of a car that had refused to stop for police and crashed into a tree on Sunday night.

The victim's funeral took place on Thursday.

Police have made 23 arrests and charged 14.

Seven of them, including four minors, were still detained on Friday night.

Some of those arrested were reported to have come over the border from Belgium.

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