Disturbing footage shows the moment a heavily-built thug attacked two women, knocking them to the ground outside a nightclub - in an alleged row over hot dogs.

The man repeatedly punched the young victims in the face as a crowd of onlookers laughed and cheered outside the venue in downtown Los Angeles, California.

The row is thought to have erupted after the women, who have not been named, challenged the suspect for being 'rude' to a street vendor while queuing for food on Friday night.

The muscle-bound man reportedly flew into a rage and began bullying the employee after being charged $6 for a snack, boasting: 'I own the streets of LA.'

The thug allegedly punched the two young women in the face, knocking them to the floor, after a row erupted over a hot dog

When the women bravely stepped in and told him to 'leave the guy alone' he started pummeling them with blows, drawing howls of excitement from gawping bystanders.

Police are now hunting the suspect, who took off on foot and was last seen heading along Spring Street towards Sixth Street.

Disturbing video filmed by a witness shows the attacker - dressed in a grey T-shirt and black leggings - hurling one of the women to the ground then punching her friend in the face when she confronts him.

The watching mob cheers as the floored woman manages to get back up but is immediately punched to the ground again with a right hand before the thug then drops the second woman with a left.

The first woman gets back to her feet again and tries to defend herself but the man knocks her down for a third time before fleeing into traffic.

One of the victims - a nursing student who suffered a concussion and bruising to her jaw - told NBC Los Angeles that another vendor had offered the man a free hot dog in an attempt to diffuse the situation, but when that failed she and her friend decided to intervene.

A crowd of bystanders gathered to watch the fight, allegedly laughing and cheering as the women were attacked for defending the street vendor

She said: 'He gets up in the hot dog vendor's face and is like saying 'I own the streets of LA'. We said something like just leave the guy alone, what's your problem? Just go, you're getting the free hotdog. The next thing that I remember is he hits my friend.

'I ran up to him and told him to not touch her, to not touch my friend, and he hits me.

'People were laughing and cheering, like as if it were a show. We can't believe that nobody did anything.'

Police are now hunting the suspect, who fled on foot and was last seen running into traffic heading along Spring Street towards Sixth Street

Viewers on social media were equally disgusted.

Barbara Dowler said: 'To hear the laughing makes my blood boil.'

Erica Felix wrote: 'I can't believe that all those people just stood there. They should all be ashamed and charged as well as the man who hit the two women.'

Lori Sullivan said: 'Sickening to watch. What a pathetic person and how disheartening that no one did or said anything to that weak man. Unbelievable.'

Clyde Miller added: 'There is never a good reason for any man to hit a woman. The guy is clearly a coward.'