Police flooded a London suburb with officers last night after a row said to be between two girls from rival schools developed into a near-riot.

Disturbing footage posted online shows groups of teenagers kicking and punching each one other outside Walthamstow Central tube station at around 5pm yesterday.

More than 100 officers were forced to close an entire street outside the station after the large-scale fight involving mainly teenage girls, with some said to be brandishing baseball bats.

Fighting continued in the area for around four hours before police announced the youths had been 'dispersed' at around 9pm.

One video which has since emerged appears to show a young women ripping hair extensions from another's head while, in another, a young girl is beaten to the ground with a pole.

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More than 100 police officers were called to Walthamstow yesterday after a fight understood to be between girls from rival schools developed in a mass brawl

Another video shows a girl wielding a pole and beating someone to the ground. Other reports suggest baseball bats were used by some taking part in the fighting

Another video shows a group savagely beating a girl lying on the floor, and another shows a young woman being arrested.

The Metropolitan Police had to shut down Hoe Street, where the station is located, in an effort to get the 200-strong crowd of youths under control.

Reports on Twitter suggest girls from Sir George Monoux 6th Form College and Leyton Sixth Form College were involved.

One Twitter user even suggested the brawl had been pre-arranged and claimed flyers had been handed out outside a college advertising the fight.

Leyton Sixth Form College Principal Kevin Watson said: 'The College is cooperating fully with the police following last evening's disturbance.

'Clearly, we take such incidents very seriously and will respond accordingly if and when more information becomes available.'

Paolo Ramella, Sir George Monoux College added: 'The College is currently investigating and working closely with local police to find out if any of our students were involved.

'Sir George Monoux College has a zero tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviour, whether inside or outside of College. If any of our students are found to be involved in any way, they will face serious consequences.'

Three people have now been arrested following the incident and police say the incident was not a riot.

It is understood the disorder grew out of a row between two girls over a boy. Pictured: Police at the scene

Around 100 officers from the Metropolitan Police were forced to shut down Hoe Street, where the station is located, in an effort to get the 200-strong crowd of youths under control

Dozens of police vehicles attended the incident in an attempt to break up the fights and disperse the crowd

The hashtag #WalthamstowRiots began trending on Twitter soon after the incident. One local tweeted: 'There's basically a riot in Walthamstow'.

Another said: 'Police have the whole area sealed off - just been there, forget travelling down Hoe St'.

One tweeted he saw 'over 100' police in the area as they attempted to defuse the situation outside a McDonald's restaurant.

Samee Ullah, co-owners of Director's Cut in the High Street, told the Waltham Forest Guardian : 'I looked out [the window] and I saw hundreds of kids shouting and screaming, they were coming from the Hoe Street end.

'It looked like someone had gone into Nandos and they were waiting for them to come out. They brought the whole street to a standstill. We asked some of them and they said it was 'college fights'.'

Hundreds of users on social media claimed it was sparked by an argument between two young women from rival colleges squabbling over a boy.

Disturbing videos filmed in the streets of the north-east London suburb show girls pulling each others hair and kicking and punching each other

Shocking videos showed the fighting spill over into surrounding streets after it broke out in McDonalds

Police closed roads near the tube station and searched the streets nearby in a bid to calm down the situation

Waltham Forest Police said around 200 young people aged between 16 and 20 gathered in Walthamstow, adding they believe the majority are not from the local area.

Waltham Forest Chief Inspector Jon Simpson said today: 'We are providing additional high visibility policing patrols in the area to reassure local residents and businesses and to ensure that there is no repeat of last night's disturbance.

'We are working closely with our colleagues at Waltham Forest Council and local schools to identify those responsible for any criminal acts.'

'The vast number of children who congregated in the area yesterday were merely there to watch and film on their phones rather than to participate in any criminal activities.'

London's Evening Standard reported that the incident follows an alleged brawl which took place outside McDonalds on the same street on the previous night.

Twitter user Will Stroude posted this picture with the caption: 'Pieces of weave strewn across Hoe Street.' The picture apparently shows hair extensions that were yanked out during the brawl

Most of the videos and pictures posted on social media appear to show young girls fighting each other

While the reason for the mass brawl remains unclear, users of social media claimed it was sparked by an argument between two young women from rival colleges squabbling over a boy

Walthamstow MP Stella Creasy tweeted her disgust following the incident.

She wrote: 'Furious to hear there is a fight outside Walthamstow Central station - will be following up with police but pls stay clear of area for now.'

Ms Creasy appeared to believe the youngsters seen in the footage may have attended colleges in the area.

She wrote: '[I] will be taking matter up with college heads once clear who involved.'

A police spokesman said: Three people have been arrested - a 16-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl were arrested on suspicion of affray. An 18-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of violent disorder. All remain in custody at east London police stations.