A brutal punch-up between asylum seekers has been captured on video at a registration centre in Germany.

Chairs were smashed over heads, punches were thrown and people kicked as the room was wrecked while police rush to the scene in the city of Dortmund in the west of the country, to try to regain order.

One man in a blue shirt can be seen attacking a defenceless victim who was seriously hurt and is currently in hospital.

A brutal punch-up between asylum seekers has been captured on video at a registration centre in Germany

Chairs were smashed over heads, punches thrown and people kicked as the room was wrecked while police rush to the scene in the city of Dortmund in the west of the country, to try to regain order

The brawl broke out in the registration centre on Huckarder Strasse on Tuesday and was posted shortly afterwards on to the Facebook social media site

The brawl broke out in the registration centre on Huckarder Strasse on Tuesday and video was posted online shortly afterwards on Facebook.

Police are so far at a loss to explain the eruption of violence which comes at a tense time in Germany.

The government of Chancellor Angela Merkel is under increasing pressure to both reduce refugee numbers and vet the bona fides of those already in the country following a week of violence that saw a migrant attack people on a train and another blow himself up in the town of Ansbach.

Police are so far at a loss to explain the eruption of violence which comes at a tense time in Germany

Three youths aged 14, 15 and 20 were arrested and taken in for questioning but later released

Police say a criminal probe is underway which will likely lead to charges of grievous bodily harm against some of the participants

Police said the fight involved men and women aged between 14 to 37.

A spokesman said: 'The fight broke out in the waiting room at the facility. It began as a verbal affair but escalated quickly into violence. Chairs were the main weapon used.'

A total of five people needed medical treatment.

The police spokesman added: 'The injured were a 33-year-old woman, and men aged 19, 21, 26 and 37. They were treated at local hospitals.'

Three youths aged 14, 15 and 20 were arrested and taken in for questioning but later released.