Violent clashes which saw police ‘ambushed’ and brutally attacked by Romanian thugs are believed to have erupted when social services ‘tried to take two children from a home’. 

Chaotic footage shows officers being punched, kicked, and beaten with pieces of wood as mayhem erupted in Gateshead, near Newcastle.

The ugly scenes on Tuesday evening were reportedly triggered when social workers, escorted by police, arrived at a maisonette to execute a child protection order.

A Romanian woman at the property today told MailOnline that authorities had wanted to remove two children, aged three and five.

She said: ‘Child protection came in to take the children without any reason.

‘Four people came to take the children by force.’

Eyewitnesses told of ‘carnage’ when up to 15 men ‘charged down the stairs’ of the property and ‘ambushed’ two officers.

As the brawl spilled onto the street, an angry crowd quickly formed, with more men emerging from nearby homes to join the violence.

CCTV footage shows the mass fight in Gateshead, near Newcastle, break out after officers were called to a welfare incident

Northumbria Police said two officers required hospital treatment and six people were arrested

The six people, aged between 15 and 54, have since been released on bail

One officer is believed to have had lighter fuel thrown in his face while another was attacked with a panel of wooden fence.

Two Northumbria Police officers were taken to hospital for treatment and six people were arrested.

A source on the street suggested that the children sought by social services were being looked after by another Romanian family after their father was stopped from seeing them. 

They said: ‘The children’s mother had moved away so another family took responsibility for them. Then a day later social services turned up and took the children away. There was no warning, nothing.’ 

One witness, who asked not to be named, said: ‘There were two well-dressed people at the front door and two bobbies stood respectfully about 10 yards away, just overseeing what was going on.

‘Voices got raised and then all of a sudden the door opened and there were about 15 people waiting up the stairs.

‘They all came charging out and they just attacked the police.

‘I thought I was going to have to go and drag one of the police and get them in my house.

‘I rang 999 and I just said you need more bodies on the ground. There’s an officer down on the ground, getting kicked.

‘To me, it felt like an ambush.

Reinforcements quickly arrived with at least 15 officers on the scene

Northumbria Police said two officers required hospital treatment

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Shocking moment massive brawl between yobs and POLICE breaks out on the street: Six arrested

‘People were screaming and charging at the police. I’ve never seen anything like it – it was absolute madness.’

Another witness told how up to 20 other young men emerged on the street as news of the incident quickly spread.

They said: ‘It was a pitched battle in the streets, for about ten minutes.

‘An older man tried to attack a police officer with a piece of wood, but he missed and ran headfirst into a car

‘Three young lads were ordered to the ground, but one jumped up and tried to headbutt an officer.’

‘There was an older man who went for a copper with a piece of wood.

‘Fortunately he managed to dodge it and the old man ran head first into a car.

‘Three of these young lads were told to get on the ground. One of them got up and tried to headbutt a police officer.’

Officers lead one man away from the scene after making an arrest

CCTV footage shows the massive brawl broke out between yobs and police in Northumbria

Footage shows a large group of people fighting with officers as they attempt to detain civilians

Two men can be seen grappling with a police officer during the mass brawl

Women from the house also rushed into the street, screaming at police, with one seen on her knees, crying.

The witness said: ‘They didn’t lay a hand on the cops but they were in their faces

‘The whole thing was shocking. It’s just a bloody good job no-one had any weapons.’

New footage published online shows the extent of the police response, with the street swarming with officers. In one clip a bloodied older man is seen led away in handcuffs.

Six people, aged between 15 and 54, were arrested in connection with the incident for affray, resisting arrest and assaulting an emergency worker. They have all now been released on bail.

The road was cordoned off overnight with police remaining at the house until the early hours of Wednesday morning, a neighbour said.

‘It was awful for the police. People think it’s really rough around here but actually it’s alright.

‘It’s always been multicultural and everybody gets on. It’s a good little community.’

Officers speak to members of the public after being called to the area after reports of a welfare incident

Police make an arrest following the mass brawl breaking out

Northumbria Police said: ‘At around 5pm on Tuesday, we received a report of a concern for welfare in the Bensham area of Gateshead.

‘We attended an address and two of our officers were subsequently assaulted. They were taken to hospital for treatment of minor injuries.

‘Six people – aged from 15 to 54 – were arrested in connection with the incident for offences relating to affray, resisting arrest and assaulting an emergency worker. They have since been bailed pending further police enquiries.’

The violence echoes last summer’s riots in Leeds, West Yorks, when social services attempted to take four Romani children into care.

That incident saw a double-decker bus set on fire, a police car overturned, and officers pelted with missiles in the Harehills suburb.

The children were eventually returned to their extended family.