Iranian soccer fans destroyed buses and cars and fought running battles as a brawl between players in a Tehran derby spilled off the field and on to the streets, Iranian media said yesterday. A Tehran bus company executive said 250 of his vehicles had been damaged as rival supporters of Pirouzi and Esteghlal, Iran's top two teams, rampaged through Tehran suburbs late on Friday. More than 60 people were arrested.

But the clashes started on the pitch in what one newspaper described as a "lively, but rough match", played before a 100,000 capacity crowd. Two minutes into extra time, with the score at 2-2, Esteghlal goalkeeper Parviz Broumand punched a Pirouzi player in the face, the Iran daily said.

As the referee blew the full-time whistle, players from both teams began a "kick-and-run" brawl, the paper said, which spread into the stands and onto the streets. Police arrested three Esteghlal players, including Broumand, and two players from Pirouzi as well their coach Naser Ebrahimi, the Kayhan newspaper said.

"The police will fight any kind of disorder or threat to security and will bring order with the help of the people," the official IRNA news agency quoted security official Mohammad Rouyanian as saying.Matches between the sides have often ended in fighting, but the level of violence seen after Friday's game was believed to be unprecedented, IRNA said. The chairman of the football federation vowed punishment would be meted out to the players involved.

"We called an urgent meeting because this is a matter of national dignity," said Safaee Farahani, "You can be sure that we will punish the players that started the violence." Esteghlal Chairman Nasrollah Abdollahi blamed a ban on women attending matches in the Islamic Republic for the deterioration of behaviour among fans.

"Since women have been banned from coming to soccer matches, we have seen a change in the culture and attitude of the fans," he said. "Using flares and swearing at the coaches and players has now become normal."