The Democratic presidential debates in South Carolina featured a night of disorganised chaos, as leading candidates once again took the gloves off and fought each other ahead of the state’s crucial vote and Super Tuesday.

Former Vice President Joe Biden, whose team views winning the state on Saturday as fundamental to its survival on the campaign trail, leaned into his record throughout the night and attacked Bernie Sanders for his record on gun control.

Mr Sanders' past support for gun makers to receive certain legal protections “has caused carnage on our streets”, the former vice president said, while issuing a warning to manufacturers of firearms: “I’m coming for you, and I’m taking you down.”

Mr Sanders acknowledged his vote in support of the protections in 2005 “was a bad vote” while noting he has "cast thousands of votes, including bad votes”.

Pete Buttigieg also took on Mr Sanders, saying his position on guns wasn't an old one but "is a current bad position that Bernie Sanders holds”.

Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Show all 18 1 /18 Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Jessica Canicosa, a precinct captain for Bernie Sanders, waits to greet caucus voters at Liberty High School in Henderson, Nevada REUTERS Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Hotel workers at the Bellagio in Las Vegas get to grips with voting papers during the Nevada caucuses AFP via Getty Images Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A caricature of Bernie Sanders is projected on to a tree during a rally in Las Vegas EPA Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A woman waits to have a photo taken with Elizabeth Warren during a town hall meeting in Las Vegas REUTERS Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures The threat of coronavirus and other germ-borne illnesses was on some voters' minds at the Democratic caucuses in Henderson, Nevada Getty Images Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Former vice-president Joe Biden takes a selfie with a voter in Las Vegas ahead of the Nevada caucuses REUTERS Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Amy Klobuchar changes her shoes backstage after giving a speech in Exeter, New Hampshire AFP/Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A warmly-wrapped-up dog attends an Elizabeth Warren event at Amherst Elementary School in Nashua, New Hampshire AFP/Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Bernie Sanders, who romped to victory in New Hampshire against Hillary Clinton in 2016, talks to the media in Manchester Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Joe Biden was hoping to improve on his poor showing in Iowa in the New Hampshire primary Reuters Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Elizabeth Warren, renowned for giving time to supporters for selfies, works the crowd at the University of New Hampshire in Durham Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Joe Biden takes a selfie with a supporter and his child outside a campaign event in Somersworth, New Hampshire on 5 February Reuters Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders quarrel after a confrontation in a TV debate in which Sanders claimed that Warren was not telling the truth about a conversation in which she claimed he had said a woman could not win the presidency on 14 January AP Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Supporter Pat Provencher listens to Pete Buttigieg in Laconia, New Hampshire on 4 February Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Pete Buttigieg speaks at a campaign event in Concord, New Hampshire while awaiting the results of the Iowa caucus Reuters Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Elizabeth Warren is presented with a balloon effigy of herself at a campaign event in Nashua, New Hampshire on 5 February Reuters Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A Trump supporter rides past a rally for Amy Klobuchar in Des Moines, Iowa on 14 January AP Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A man holds up a sign criticising billionaires in the presidential race in front of Michael Bloomberg in Compton, Califronia. The former New York mayor skipped the first caucus in Iowa and instead campaigned in California on 3 February Reuters

The Vermont senator wasn’t the only candidate who faced sharp attacks on Tuesday night. Elizabeth Warren slammed Mr Bloomberg over a news report that he told a female employee to "kill it" when she became pregnant. The former New York City mayor denied the allegations, causing Ms Warren to once again call on the billionaire presidential hopeful to release women accusing him of sexual harassment and discrimination from nondisclosure agreements.

"Never said it, period”, Mr Bloomberg said about the allegations.

He was also forced to apologise for off-colour remarks he was reported to have made to female employees, while declining to address Ms Warren's call that he issue a more wide-ranging blanket release from nondisclosure agreements than the three women he has recently released.

Biden, who is relying heavily on his support among African-American Democratic voters in South Carolina, said he was “looking forward” to putting the first black woman on the US Supreme Court during a closing portion of the debate.

The former vice president, who acknowledged his campaign took a “gut punch” after weak performances in the first-in-the-nation votes, also noted that he aimed to live by the following motto: “When you get knocked down, you get up, and everyone is entitled to be treated with dignity."

The debate was at times particularly disorganised as candidates struggled to talk over each other and moderators failed to control the flow of the conversation.

The crowd cheered at one point as Mr Biden demanded he be allowed to continue speaking, while other moments offered awkward confrontations between him and Amy Klobuchar, who waited for the former vice president to be finished interrupting her before finishing her answer to a question.

Recent controversies over Mr Sanders’ statements about the education programme in Cuba and Mr Bloomberg’s tax returns were also addressed, as both candidates once again went on the defence.

Mr Sanders said it's possible to oppose authoritarianism and still acknowledge good things such governments have done, while Mr Bloomberg said he was working on readying his returns for release "as fast as we can”.

In last week's debate in Las Vegas, Mr Bloomberg said that it takes "a long time" to compile his tax returns because he makes a lot of money and "can't go to TurboTax”.

Mr Bloomberg runs a financial data and media company. He is worth an estimated $60bn.

All the other contenders on stage have released their tax returns. The other billionaire in the debate, California climate activist Tom Steyer, noted that he had released a decade's worth of tax returns.

The former New York City mayor also opened himself up to attacks when he discussed spending $100m to help Democratic candidates flip US House seats held by Republicans.

He began to say "I bought”, before catching himself and saying "I got them”, noting their elections helped Nancy Pelosi become speaker of the House.

Donald Trump's campaign spokesman and eldest son were among those on Twitter highlighting the flub.

Donald Trump Jr tweeted: "Wow!!! He's admitting he BOUGHT those seats!"

Meanwhile, Bloomberg advertisements were featured during the first two commercial breaks of the debate ahead of Saturday's primary.

The Bloomberg ads highlighted his experience in the business community and as mayor, and they outline some of his key policy proposals. They also featured reporting that claimed Mr Trump was wary of Mr Bloomberg's rise in Democratic polls.

Mr Bloomberg has spent more than $500m of his own money on his presidential campaign in the last three months.