Schools and leisure centres were destroyed when up to 100 youths clashed with police on Monday in the northern French city of Amiens

Cars were vandalised and set on fire in the violence reportedly triggered by the arrest of a man for dangerous driving.

The unrest in the rundown district of Amiens sparked a debate about deprivation and social exclusion in France.

Several buildings were damaged, including a nursery and a sports centre.

The clashes left behind a “scene of desolation”, said Amiens mayor Gilles Demailly.