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Sickening mobile phone footage shows a gang of armed youths attacking racegoers after Ladies Day at Aintree.

Horrified witnesses told the ECHO that some yobs were spitting at people and targeting vehicles near to Old Roan train station at around 7pm.

One said: "I was shocked to see the amount of feral rats looking for a fight.

"They were all in black like a pack mentality. It made me physically sick. They targeted visitors to our city."

Did you see this or were you one of the victims? Email news@liverpool.com or message us on Facebook.

The video shows a group of youths, one of them armed with a wooden bat, attacking a group of men dressed in suits sparking a mass brawl.

(Image: Liverpool Echo)

Several men and one woman desperately try to break up the carnage which spills out onto the road into the way of oncoming cars.

Police were called to Copy Lane in Old Roan at around 7.30pm last night following reports of an incident.

A video posted on social media shows the moment a group of racegoers retaliated and fought a pitched battle with a group of youths dressed in black.

One of the youths had a large wooden bat which he swung around his head.

The film showed a group of men dressed in suits taking on the youths. Heavy punches were thrown during the street fight, and several people fell to the floor.

At one point a woman, who appeared to be racegoer, tried to calm things down but the violence continued.

(Image: Peter Byrne/PA Wire)

Toward the end of the clip the racegoers appeared to force the youths back. One of the racegoers managed to grab hold of the wooden bat, which forced the youths to flee.

Police said a 16-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of affray. He has since been released under investigation.

At one point the violence appeared to stop the traffic from passing down Copy Lane.

One witness said to the ECHO: "We walked to Old Roan. I was extremely shocked to see the amount of feral rats looking for a fight.

"They were all in black like a pack mentality. It made me physically sick. "They targeted visitors to our city."

Another said: "I am still too upset to talk about it. It shocked me so much.

"It was horrible to witness and I can’t get the images out of my head. I can’t stop crying. I know it’s a minority of Liverpool, but they are taking over our beautiful city.

"Not feeling like a proud Scouser today."

A local man told the ECHO that the youths dressed in black had been 'spitting' at racegoers prior to the fight.

Yesterday marked 2019's Ladies Day, the second day of Aintree's Grand National Festival. The flagship event is one of the biggest days of the years when the eyes of the world are on the city.

Mayor Joe Anderson slammed what he called 'ferile behaviour' and asked if parents 'know where their kids are.'

Mayor Anderson said: "We've already had the driving around on the track before the festival, it is absolutely disgraceful, feral behaviour.

"I think we need to ask parents if they know where their kids are and what they are doing."These people who are at the races could be from anywhere, its disgraceful, we are talking about the Aintree festival for the wrong reasons.

"If anybody knows who is responsible then we need to apprehend them and deal with them quickly."This is criminal behaviour, they are just yobs."

We can't dress this up as children, they are old enough to know what they are doing and we need to throw the book at them."

A police spokesman said they were called to the area last night after reports that a large group of youths had confronted racegoers resulting in a fight.

The spokesman said a 16-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of affray. He has since been released under investigation.

Superintendent Dave Charnock said: “This kind of violent disorder in a public place will not be tolerated and we are currently examining CCTV and video footage and following a number of lines of enquiry to identify those responsible.

“A dispersal zone has been put in place to tackle anti-social behaviour and high visibility patrols will be stepped up in the area over the weekend.

"This means that any groups of people gathering in the areas of Old Roan to Warbreck Moor can be moved on. I would ask anyone who witnessed the incident or has any footage to contact us.

“Despite this incident occurring away from the racecourse, the actions of individuals involved have tarnished what was an otherwise fantastic day for race-goers and we will continue to pursue those responsible and put them before the courts.

“We have no doubt that everyone attending the final day of the Grand National festival will have a fantastic time and officers will be both inside and outside the course to ensure you have a safe and enjoyable experience.”

Anyone who witnessed the incident, has any dashcam or video footage or any information is asked to contact @MerPolCC, 101 or @CrimestoppersUK.