Chelsea today called on its own supporters to turn in a gang of football fans filmed repeatedly pushing a black man off a train and chanting: 'We're racist and that's the way we like it'.

Police in Britain and France are also hunting for the men seen abusing the victim at Richelieu-Drouot station on the Paris Metro last night.

They face up to three years in prison if they are caught before they leave France and Scotland Yard has said its officers are also studying the film and will consider banning orders for those involved.

Shocking incident: The Chelsea supporters were filmed pushing a black man off the packed train at Richelieu-Drouot station on the Paris Metro yesterday, despite there being enough space for him to board

Supporters: The fans could be heard chanting 'We're racist, we're racist, and that's the way we like it, we like it, we like it' - although it is not clear which men in this still image were actually singing the song

The shocking footage shows the gang of white men refusing to let the black man on board despite there being enough space in the carriage.

The victim, who was not wearing any club colours, then remonstrates with the fans, asking them to let him on and pointing at a space, but the gang block the door and push him off again when he tries to board for the second time.

Another black passenger then walks off the train in disgust as the large group of fans chant: 'We're racist, we're racist, and that's the way we like it, we like it, we like it.'

Some Chelsea fans claim the song was in support of club captain John Terry, who has faced claims he is racist in the past.

The fans in the footage can also be heard chanting at French passengers: 'Where were you in World War Two?'

Chelsea has urged anyone who knows who they are to contact them anonymously and pledged to ban them from the club.

On the platform: The man can then be seen remonstrating with the fans, asking for them to let him on and appearing to insist there is sufficient room for him to stand - but he is then pushed off again

Metro train: The footage was filmed before the Premier League team's 1-1 draw in a Champions League fixture with Ligue 1 side Paris Saint-Germain at Parc des Princes yesterday

A spokesman for the Paris prosecutors office said the men were being investigated for 'voluntary racial violence on public transport'.

CHELSEA ASKS ITS OWN FANS TO TURN IN THE METRO ABUSERS Chelsea is appealing for witnesses to the racist abuse of the Paris Metro and has said it will ban those involved. A club spokesman said: 'Such behaviour is abhorrent and has no place in football or society. 'We will support any criminal action against those involved in such behaviour, and should evidence point to the involvement of Chelsea season ticket holders or members the club will take the strongest possible action against them including banning orders. 'To help us with our investigations and to identify those persons involved, we ask those who were present to forward their observations, in the strictest confidence, to customer.services@chelseafc.com ' Advertisement

This is punishable by up to three years in prison and a fine equivalent to £33,000. Police will now be searching for the fans, all of whom are clearly identified in the film shot by a British expat.

There were also disturbing reports of large groups of fans singing anti-Semitic songs in Jewish areas of the city, hissing while imitating the sound of gas escaping.

Scotland Yard today appealed to the public to help identify the men in the video.

A spokesman said: 'We are aware of footage currently on the internet allegedly involving Chelsea fans in Paris.

'The Metropolitan Police Service takes offences such as this very seriously, no matter where they occur.

'We will examine the footage with a view to seeing if we can apply for football banning orders, preventing people from travelling from future matches.

'We will, of course, assist French authorities to identify the people involved and support them in any action they choose to take. At the same time we will be working closely with Chelsea football club'.

The Met said that it sent officers from its football unit to Paris to support the French policing operation around last night's match in Paris.

Disappointed: Harry Graham (right), 23, with his father Martin Graham, 52, who returned from Paris today and said the video is 'disgusting'

Anyone who has information about the identity of those involved is asked to call the police non-emergency line 101, the force said.

Prime Minister David Cameron said the incident appeared to be 'extremely disturbing and very worrying'.

'It's obviously potentially a criminal offence and so I'm sure the French police will be looking at it very seriously,' he told LBC radio.

'I know the British police will give every assistance that they can. I'm sure Chelsea will co-operate with that fully. These are very, very serious matters.'

A Chelsea fan who was on the Metro train claimed the supporters pushed the man off the carriage because he was a PSG fan rather than for being black.

Season-ticket holder Mitchell McCoy, 17, from Fulham in London, said: 'We got on the train and at the station where the man was trying to get on we stopped for a couple of minutes.

'He tried to get on and a few people were pushing him off because there wasn't much space on the carriage. You couldn't move.

'People were saying it was because he was black. It's not true at all. I personally think it's because he was a PSG fan. Obviously they didn't want him anywhere with us. That guy in the video tried to force himself on, so they pushed him off.'

Mr McCoy, who travelled to Paris with five friends, also contended that the chant 'We're racist and that's the way we like it' was in reference to Chelsea captain John Terry.

He said: 'That song was about John Terry. The only words I know is "he's a racist, he's a racist" and I don't know the rest.'

DO YOU KNOW THE FANS? Please email mark.duell@mailonline.co.uk or call 020 3615 1838 Advertisement

Asked why that song was sung at that moment, he said: 'I'm not sure. I didn't sing it. It wasn't just that one time that it happened. It wasn't just with the black people that we weren't letting on.

'There was white people, women that people weren't allowing on. There was no space. They were saying, "You can't get on this carriage, you have to go somewhere else".'

Terry was banned for four matches and fined £220,000 by the Football Association in October 2012 for racially abusing then QPR player Anton Ferdinand.

Young Chelsea fans today admitted singing 'racist' chants on the Paris Metro claimed it was in support of club captain John Terry.

One of the fans who gave his name as Phil returned to London St Pancras by Eurostar from Paris this morning with his friends Ben and another west London boy who would not be named.

We're racist we're racist, and that's the way we like it Chant by Chelsea fans on Paris Metro

Phil, 16, said: 'We were singing the John Terry racist song. The chant was all to do with supporting John Terry - we were singing it to back our captain.

'It wasn't meant to be racist, but I know the video makes it look bad.'

The words to the chant captured on the video went: 'We're racist we're racist, and that's the way we like it.' Phil added: 'We don't support it if it was racist. But the video is totally out of context.'

The teenager, who was wearing a black anorak and blue jeans and looked tired and dishevelled as he left St Pancras International arrivals and walked towards the tube, added: 'There were loads of guys in the carriage and it was really packed - probably more than 50 people.

'We were about three carriages down. Basically a load of PSG fans were trying to get on the train at the platform and he was one of them.

The match: The scenes in the French capital will mar a closely-fought last 16 first leg that ended as a 1-1 draw, with Branislav Ivanovic (above) putting the Blues ahead before PSG frontman Edison Cavani equalised

'It wasn't that the guy was black, no-one wanted to let a PSG fan on. It was sort of hard to see what was happening, but everyone started singing'.

Chelsea, who have condemned the 'abhorrent' abuse and have 22 black or foreign first team players, were playing Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League last night. The club also backed criminal charges for those involved.

CHELSEA'S FIRST BLACK PLAYER ADMITS 'IT COULD HAVE BEEN ME' Chelsea's first black footballer Paul Canoville today called for the racist fans who disgraced the club in Paris to be banned for life. And the former winger is convinced they will be 'named and shamed' by other supporters who will be just as horrified as him. The shocking incident also brought back memories of the nightmare Canoville endured during the 1980s at the hands of Chelsea fans who called him 'n*****', 'golliwog' and chucked fruit at him. Canoville, now 52, said: 'I am shocked, angry and shamed. 'That could have been me, they should have done that to me because they wouldn't recognise me so when I'd say to them 'hold on, do you know who I am?' what would their excuse be then? 'It has hurt me and the club because we have all worked so hard to cut this out. 'At Stamford Bridge the club encourages anyone to report racist language to stewards and they are immediately thrown out and banned. I have witnessed it. 'When I was playing the ground was a scary place if you were not white. But now we have people of all colours and creeds. The place has completely changed. 'It's only a very small minority, but they have gone over to Paris and spoiled it for everyone else. 'I am sure they will be identified to the authorities and you will probably have the FA and police involved. 'It isn't for me to say if they should be prosecuted or go to jail. That is for others to decide. But they should be banned from football for life. Enough is enough.' Advertisement

Paul Nolan, a British expat who filmed the clip, told The Guardian: 'He was obviously completely shocked when they pushed him off. I don't think he realised who they were.

'He then tried to get on again and got pushed off a second time. There definitely was a culture shock. I heard a couple of French guys saying: 'I can't believe this. It's insane'.'

Chelsea fanzine editor David Johnstone told BBC 5Live: 'Because of the actions of possibly half a dozen people on a Metro train in Paris all the supporters are going to be labelled as racist.

'I think the majority of Chelsea supporters are disgusted by what's happened. The 2,000 who were in Paris today support a Jewish-owned football team where the majority of players are black and foreign'.

TV football pundit and former England captain Gary Lineker said: 'Just saw the video of the Chelsea mob's deplorable behaviour and racist chants. Sickening, embarrassing, moronic, disgraceful.'

Fellow ex-England star Ian Wright added: 'Chelsea, what you gonna do? Your club has been linked to racism for so long! What have you done? Put a couple of signs up in your ground?

'Those guys on the train remind me of my childhood. Chase you with their mates! But when alone and confronted, I've seen them cry.'

The Football Supporters' Federation (FSF) also condemned the incident, saying it was 'shocking' and the overwhelming majority of Chelsea fans would be 'disgusted' by it.

Chelsea fan Harry Graham, 23, a structural engineer who lives in south-east London and went to watch the match with his dad, said he found the footage 'disgusting'.

Returning to St Pancras in central London via Eurostar today, he said: 'Obviously it is a complete disgrace. You always get some pond life. It is absolutely disgusting.

'If I had seen it happening I would have done something.'

'It's frustrating because the whole atmosphere before the game was really good.

'No-one was pushing, some people were singing. Everyone was incredibly calm.

'Because of this small minority of fans we're all going to get tarred with the same brush.'

Kick It Out chairman Lord Ouseley said: 'I was shocked that Chelsea fans were still behaving like this. I thought the club had made it quite clear and taken action about stopping any repetition, knowing Chelsea, how hard they've worked on these matters, with fans as well as players, that it was unlikely to occur.

The fact it involved an assault as well, of the individual that they pushed off the train, was even more shocking'.

Sepp Blatter, president of football's world governing body Fifa, tweeted: 'I also condemn the actions of a small group of Chelsea fans in Paris. There is no place for racism in football!'

The footage was filmed before the Premier League team's 1-1 draw in a Champions League fixture with Ligue 1 side Paris Saint-Germain at Parc des Princes yesterday.

I heard a couple of French guys saying: 'I can't believe this. It's insane' Paul Nolan, witness

European governing body Uefa said it would be hard pressed to take action, as the abuse did not take place near a stadium.

Also last night a group of away fans were reportedly kettled and teargassed outside a bar, as well as around 200 supporters who were still trying to get into the stadium ten minutes after the start.

The scenes in the French capital will mar a closely-fought last 16 first leg that ended as a 1-1 draw, with Branislav Ivanovic putting the Blues ahead before PSG frontman Edison Cavani equalised.

A Chelsea spokesman said: 'Such behaviour is abhorrent and has no place in football or society.

'We will support any criminal action against those involved, and should evidence point to involvement of Chelsea season-ticket holders or members the club will take the strongest possible action against them, including banning orders.'

Watching: Ex-Paris Saint-Germain player David Beckham (left) and former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson (right) were at the match between PSG and Chelsea at Parc des Princes last night

Meanwhile radio commentator and former footballer Stan Collymore tweeted: 'Chelsea fans. Save your spite for those on the train, I'm sure you'll want to see them banned from holding season tickets at your club.'

Chelsea fans and players have been involved in a number of racism rows in recent years.

In October 2012 supporter Gavin Kirkham racially abused then-Manchester United striker Danny Welbeck with a monkey gesture during Chelsea's 5-4 win in the League Cup at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea fans. Save your spite for those on the train, I'm sure you'll want to see them banned from holding season tickets at your club Stan Collymore, radio commentator

Kirkham, of Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire, was pictured making an obscene gesture - and later arrested but released without charge by the Metropolitan Police.

Earlier that year Chelsea imposed a lifetime ban on a fan who admitted racially abusing Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba during an FA Cup match against Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley.

And in October 2011, club captain John Terry was found guilty in a Football Association tribunal of racially abusing Anton Ferdinand, given a four-match ban and fined £220,000.

Terry was said to have branded Ferdinand a 'f***ing black c***' during a match against Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road, but he was acquitted of using racist language in a criminal trial.

Do you know the fans in the video? Please email mark.duell@mailonline.co.uk or call 020 3615 1838

Chelsea yobs launched violence on streets of Paris last year as hundreds smashed up shops and cafes before cup tie

Hundreds of Chelsea football fans went on the rampage in central Paris when the teams played last year, smashing up cafes and shops.

Some 400 thugs could be seen making 'Sieg Heil' salutes and chanting racist abuse before they started attacking Paris Saint-Germain supporters in the hours before the two sides' Champions League quarter-final clash on April 4, 2014.

The worst of the violence was on Rue St Denis, a popular tourist street full of pubs and bars, with flares let off that quickly filled the packed area with thick black smoke.

Unrest: Chelsea fans caused havoc on the streets before the Champions League quarter-final last year

Stand-off: Some 400 thugs could be seen making 'Sieg Heil' salutes and chanting racist abuse before they started attacking Paris Saint-Germain supporters

'It's terrifying — I just want to get out of here,' said Sarah Avel, a 16-year-old student said at the time: 'We could hear the chanting all afternoon but we didn't expect fighting.'

The fans had been drinking for most of the afternoon outside the Frog and Rosbif pub before they moved across the road to The Thistle.

The fighting started there as some of the fans could be heard chanting English Defence League songs in front of black Parisians.

Riot police were quickly mobilised but a group of around 100 fans then rushed down Rue St Denis, smashing anything in their path.

Chelsea had 2,000 tickets for the game but thousands of their fans travelled to Paris without tickets.

Earlier in the day, there were police intelligence reports that 300 hardcore Chelsea hooligans had entered France via Belgium to avoid detection.

Paris video piles more shame on Chelsea after string of racism scandals and street riots

Last night's incident in Paris is the latest in a long line of racist behaviour and disturbances carried out by Chelsea supporters.

The Chelsea Headhunters hooligan gang is notorious for its links to Far Right organisations such as Combat 18 and the National Front.

With its roots in the skinhead subculture of the 1960s, one of the group's mottos is 'When we're good they never remember, when we're bad they never forget'.

A BBC documentary by undercover investigator Donal MacIntyre on football violence in 1999 led to the conviction of several fans for organising fights with rival supporters.

Notorious: Chelsea's Headhunters pictured fighting with rival fans in Copenhagen in 1999. A BBC documentary exposed the gang's links to extremist groups

The programme exposed the gang's links to extremist groups and racist tendencies, with 'top boy' Jason Marriner boasting that he and fellow hooligan Andy 'Nightmare' Frain had upset visitors at Auschwitz with Nazi salutes.

Marriner who was convicted and sent to jail after being exposed by MacIntyre tweeted today: 'What's all the drama about?' when discussing racist chanting by the club's fans on the Paris Metro.

When asked on Twitter today for his opinion he wrote: 'Obviously no1 nos what was said etc all I can tell you is if psgs mob are given alf a chance there take libbos.'

Marriner then tweeted a Chelsea season ticket holder called Lee Munns, asking: 'Any fun pal?'

Munns replied: 'crushed, hit with stick & gassed. Loads of little offs on tube'

Munns then tweeted: 'I can confirm I was on metro yesterday, but I was chatting to a Hispanic slice from New York.'

Marriner replied: 'What's all the drama about?' Munns tweeted back: 'no idea tbh I thought that lot had to go to the back of train anyways.'

In 1985 high profile Headhunters member Kevin Whitton was jailed for his part in a violent assault on an American bar manager together with other fans on the King's Road following a Chelsea defeat.

Fans chanted 'War! War! War!' as they stormed into a pub, with one of them shouting 'You bloody Americans! Coming here taking our jobs'.

Another prominent member, the late 'Chubby' Chris Henderson, fronted skinhead band Combat 84, whose songs included lyrics in favour of the death penalty and against the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.

Henderson went on to brag about how he organised football fans to travel by 'luxury coach with the aim of causing havoc and destruction' in a memoir titled 'Who Wants It?'.

In May 2013 three police officers were injured when Chelsea fans clashed with Benfica fans before the Europa League final in Amsterdam.

Ten Chelsea fans were arrested for violent disorder.