Police shut down London street after fight outside station turns into a riot

07/10/2015

Mass brawl broke out just outside Walthamstow Central tube station today
Social media users uploaded videos showing groups of youths fighting
Police were forced to shut down roads in effort to disperse crowds
Three people have been arrested – but reason for the fight remains unclear
Hundreds of users on social media claimed it was sparked by an argument between two young women from rival London colle

Police were forced to shut down an entire street this evening after a mass brawl broke out just outside Walthamstow Central tube station.

Grainy footage posted on social media sites Facebook and Twitter appears to show around groups of teenagers – many of them young girls – grappling with one another outside the station at around 5pm.

Officers from the Metropolitan Police were forced to shut down Hoe Street, where the station is located, in an effort to get the brawl under control.

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Pictures posted on social media appears to show several groups of teenagers grappling with one another outside Walthamstow Central tube station at 5pm today (pictured: police at the scene this afternoon)

Dozens of police officers attended the incident in an attempt to break up the fights and disperse the crowd

Three people have been arrested following the incident and police remain at the scene this evening.

One of the videos appears to show a young women ripping hair extensions from another’s head.

Another video shows a group savagely beating a girl lying on the floor, and another shows a young girl being arrested.

Most of the videos and pictures posted on social media appear to show young girls fighting each other

While the reason for the mass brawl remains unclear, hundreds of users on social media claimed it was sparked by an argument between two young women from rival colleges squabbling over a man

One of the videos appears to show police breaking up a fight between several young women

Waltham Forest Police said around 200 young people aged between 16 and 20 gathered in Walthamstow, adding they believe the majority are not from the local area.

A police spokesman said: ‘Due to the large numbers and calls about a fight several police resources were deployed.

‘At the time of the police arrival, the group were not committing offences but their presence in such numbers would be alarming to members of the public as would the volume of police vehicles.

‘It is important to stress there has been no riot.

‘The MPS Territorial Support Group were called and dealt with a large group who refused to leave.’

Police said the group had moved on – but on social media users continued to post videos and images purporting to show further fights and scuffles breaking out this evening.

Twitter user Will Stroude posted this picture with the caption: ‘Pieces of weave strewn across Hoe Street. I can’t even.’ The picture apparently shows hair extensions that were yanked out during the brawl

A 23-year-old man told the Evening Standard: ‘As I came out of the train station, I usually get a bus, however they had closed off the bus station and in the market area nearby there were about 20 police cars and a few riot vans blocking off the pathway, and surrounding it about 150 people who were involved in an incident which looked like a standoff with the police.’

The newspaper reports today’s incident follows an alleged brawl which took place outside McDonalds on the same street last night.

Walthamstow MP Stella Creasy tweeted her disgust following the incident this evening.

She wrote: ‘Furious to hear there is a fight outside Walthamstow Central station – will be following up with police but pls stay clear of area for now.’

Ms Creasy appeared to believe the youngsters seen in the footage may have attended colleges in the area.

She wrote: ‘[I] will be taking matter up with college heads once clear who involved.’

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: ‘Shortly after 5pm today police were called to reports of a large group of youths causing a disturbance in the Hoe Street / Station Approach area of Walthamstow.

‘Officers from Waltham Forest Borough and the Territorial Support group (TSG) attended the scene.

‘The group then began to disperse. There are no reports of any persons with injuries at this time.

‘Officers currently remain in the area.’