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Home Secretary Priti Patel today slammed 'utterly vile' scenes in Brixton last night that saw the Met Police overpowered and forced to flee after a mob screaming 'run them out' injured 22 officers and smashed up a patrol car as a 'block party' descended into chaos.  

In shocking scenes, social media footage showed hundreds of people gathered at the south London street party as fighting between revellers broke out before they turned their anger onto the police who had been called to the disturbance at the 'unlicensed music event'. 

It is the latest in a string of embarrassing incidents for Met Police after officers were seen kneeling at Black Lives Matter protests, refused to arrest Extinction Rebellion activists earlier this year and failed to stop Winton Churchill's statue being defaced.

The night descended into anarchy as police were confronted by revellers who pelted them with bottles and chased them back to their van.

Ken Marsh, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, which represents rank and file officers said that nearly 30 of his colleagues were hurt, including 'walking wounded' and two officers and described the incident as 'absolutely shocking'.

He said: 'A couple of the officers are very serious and have had CT scans, we've got some quite nasty injuries but the majority of them are walking wounded.Let's not belittle any injury to my colleagues – every one is a serious injury for us.' 

A man was seen goading police with a piece of wood, a police car attacked by a man wielding a table leg and what appeared to be a vicious street battle involving knives.

In a statement Scotland Yard said 22 of their officers were hurt and two needed further treatment at hospital. Four people were arrested for assault and public order offences and remain in custody. 

Patel this morning condemned the violence and said: 'Just last weekend, the whole country came together to praise our heroic police officers for putting their own lives on the line to keep us safe. I'll be picking up with the Met Commissioner immediately.'

Unions chief John Apter described the violence as 'disgraceful' and the Met Police Federation tweeted that their officers are not 'punchbags.'   

In further developments on the shocking violence last night:

• Video footage showed a group of men engaged in what appeared to be a knife fight leaving one individual covered in blood. 
• Met Police confirmed a small number of vehicles were targeted, video footage shows a man attacking a police car with a table leg. 
• In the statement this morning they asked the crowd to leave but they 'did not engage with police.'  
• A further clip posted to Twitter shows hundreds of people running away and screaming in fear as the evening descended into chaos.
• London Mayor Sadiq Khan said that large gatherings during the Covid-19 pandemic are 'deeply irresponsible and risk others' lives'. 
• Tory Mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey said that Mr Khan had 'lost control of the streets' and that he needs to 'take responsibility for the safety of both Londoners and his police officers'.

Home Secretary Priti Patel has described the scenes last night as 'utterly vile' and said she will be picking it up with the Met Commissioner

Two men set about vandalising a police car after a party in Brixton erupted into violence last night

Officers were confronted with violence last night in Brixton as a street party went awry

Police were confronted by a mob last night and chased out of Brixton with people screaming 'run them out'

Groups of people confronted officers last night in Brixton after an unlicensed music event descended into chaos

Dozens of police were videoed at the scene last night (pictured left), in one clip a man could be seen advancing on officers with what appears to be a large piece of wood (pictured right)

Volunteers clean up in Overton Road, Angell Town, Brixton, south London, today where riots and violent confrontations with police took place overnight.

In one video a topless man climbs on a police car then repeatedly hits it using a table leg. While another man leaps onto the vehicle to stamp on the windscreen. 

The crowd appear to encourage the act of vandalism with one person shouting 'yeah, yeah' in the background. 

In another clip, a large fight appeared to break out with men wielding knives. The clip ends with a man covered in blood and another was left prone on the floor after being viciously kicked.

More terrifying footage shows a man advancing on police saying 'what what what' while telling the police to back up and holding a large piece of wood. 

A Met Police statement this morning confirmed they asked the crowd to leave but they 'did not engage with police.'

They added that further officers attended the scene and the group 'became hostile' and a small number of police vehicles were damaged.  

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said that large gatherings during the Covid-19 pandemic are 'deeply irresponsible and risk others' lives'.

'I'm in touch with the Met Police about the completely unacceptable events in Brixton overnight. Violence against the police will not be tolerated,' he added. 

Bus driver Michael, who did not wish to share his second name, lives in Overton Road and said it was 'very upsetting' that the violence happened in his area.

'The whole thing should have been shut down earlier,' he said.

'People who live here are not the culprits, it's those damn fools from different areas that come down to tarnish the works and efforts that have been put into the area by the estate management.' 

Hundreds of people appeared to be at the late night gathering in Brixton last night

There were a number of confrontations with police officers last night, who were later chased out of Brixton

Officers were confronted on multiple occasions last night (left and right) and were chased out the area at one point 

Police Federation chair John Apter slammed violence against officers in Brixton last night

But Tory Mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey said: 'This is what London looks like when the Mayor loses control of the streets. Surging crime over the past four years, violence at the Black Lives Matter protests and now the horrific scenes we saw last night in Brixton.

'It's time for Sadiq Khan to show leadership and stop blaming others when things go wrong. He needs to take responsibility for the safety of both Londoners and his police officers. And he needs to do it today.'

One woman described the scene as 'disgusting and sickening'. She tweeted: 'They are out of control and you want to continue to ease lockdown?!?!?!?! How were they allowed to have a BLOCK PARTY that had hundreds of people and it didn't get locked off?? 

The Twitter user added: 'And this wasn't even the worst part , weapons were thrown at police, an abandoned police car smashed up, people's cars parked smashed!! Police driven out onto the main road by these disgraceful people shame on all of you!!!!!!'  

A further clip posted to Twitter shows hundreds of people running away and screaming in fear as the evening descended into chaos.

Police Federation Chief John Apter slammed the violence scenes last night that left two officers needing hospital treatment.

He tweeted: 'The level of anger, hatred and violence being shown against police officers by some is disgraceful. 

'Some of the inaccurate and inflammatory reporting by some MSM has made my colleagues fair game for those who don't need much of an excuse. My colleagues don't deserve this.'

And the Met Police Federation said: '15 more colleagues injured in deplorable scenes. Police officers are not punchbags. This violence is despicable. We wish our injured colleagues all well.'   

The large gathering comes just days after Boris Johnson is set to ease lockdown restrictions on July.

Pictures of packed beaches yesterday and block party's such as this in south London will make health authorities increasingly nervous about a second wave of the deadly coronavirus pandemic. 

The Metropolitan Police said the party was finally cleared in the early hours of Thursday, while a Section 60 order, which gives police powers to stop and search without reasonable suspicion, was later put in place in the area. 

In one clip people hundreds of people could be seen fleeing into the night as chaotic scenes unfolded in Brixton

Met Police BCU Commander Colin Wingrove said: 'Our role is to protect the public and ensure guidelines are adhered to in order to prevent the spread of Covid-19 protecting the NHS and save lives

'Our officers work incredibly hard to engage and explain the public health message and regulations to prevent such gatherings occurring.

'Last night we received numerous concerns from residents complaining about a large gathering, noise, anti-social behaviour and violence and officers responded to those concerns.

'These gatherings are unlawful, as well as posing a risk to public health and against coronavirus restrictions.

'The violence shown towards officers is totally unacceptable and we will not tolerate it in any form.

'An investigation into the incident is now taking place and those involved will be brought to justice.'

The spokesman for the London Ambulance Service said: 'We received multiple calls overnight to reports of people injured in an area spanning Brixton Road, Loughborough Road and Overton Road, Brixton.

'We sent six ambulance crews, eight medics in fast response cars and three officers to the area. We also dispatched an advanced trauma team from London's Air Ambulance, which consists of a paramedic and a doctor in a car.

'We treated two patients at the scene: one was taken to a major trauma centre as a priority and the other was taken to hospital. We also treated eight police officers, two of whom were taken to hospital in police vehicles.'