EURO MP Gary Titley has demanded that Spain kicks racism out of football after English players were abused during last week's friendly match.

The Radcliffe-based MEP said the racial taunts directed at Ashley Cole and Shaun Wright-Philips were "completely unacceptable" in any country in the 21st Century.

Mr Titley, Labour leader in Europe, has written to the Spanish president of the European Parliament urging him to press the new European Commission and the Spanish football authorities to urgently tackle the problem.

"Our European footballers must not be hindered or intimidated when going about their work," he said. "Just because their place of work is a football pitch, that must not exclude them from the same rights and protection from discrimination that all other European citizens receive."