• Soldiers allegedly kicked and punched diners as families looked on • Police seek two soldiers as victims complain to Gordon Brown

This article is more than 10 years old

This article is more than 10 years old

Six British soldiers were today being held in custody after allegedly assaulting diners in a restaurant on the holiday island of Lanzarote in an attack that has provoked an outpouring of rage against drunken British tourists.

Three people were seriously injured and several more were treated at hospital after the crowd of soldiers, reportedly from the Welsh Guards, wrecked the La Vaca Loca restaurant in the Costa Teguise resort.

Diners said they were held by up to four men at a time while the others punched, kicked and threw tables and bottles at them.

"Eight of them attacked the restaurant and all of us who were eating there, without worrying about the fact that children and old people were present," eyewitnesses said.

"They injured two Civil Guard police officers and sent several people to hospital," some of the victims said in a letter published in the local press today. "One of the injured needed facial surgery, another needed surgery to an eye. The rest had injuries from bottles from being hit by fists, kicks and chairs."

"They wrecked the restaurant and then they fled," they said.

Police were reportedly seeking at least two other British soldiers who took part in the attack, which eyewitnesses said started after an attempt to steal a bottle of wine.

"We can confirm that six British soldiers have been arrested and are due to appear in court," a Foreign Office spokesman said. "If appropriate, we will provide consular assistance."

Today some of the victims of the attack wrote to Gordon Brown, asking him to keep British soldiers under control when they are on holiday.

"Our bodies hurt, our heads hurt but what hurts us most is that children and old people who were in the restaurant will have such a bloody incident in their memories," the victims said.

"We beg you to control your armed forces so that when they go on holiday to another country they do not put their training in to practice by attacking defenceless civilians," they said.

"We would like to know which unit they come from and that you yourself have intervened to demand an explanation."

"We cannot tolerate the presence on our island, as we have been doing, of the huge number of young people from your country who come here to wreak damage, get drunk and bother people in the street," they added.

"Why should we tolerate them coming to a peaceful place like this to exercise their violence?"

A Foreign Office spokesman said they had not received a copy of the letter.

The letter adds to growing outrage in Spain about the behaviour of British tourists who get drunk and start fighting.

The Ministry of Defence yesterday warned that the soldiers may face disciplinary charges when they return home.

"All those who are found to fall short of the army's high standards or who are found to have committed an offence under the Armed Forces Act 2006 are dealt with administratively – up to and including discharge – or through the discipline process, as appropriate," the spokesman said.