Sixty people were hurt when a mass riot broke out over food at a tented refugee camp in Germany.

Police used tear gas to break up brawling between around 400 refugees.

The riot at Calden near Kassel came on the the same day Germany's biggest police union called for a new 'apartheid' system to be enforced in refugee homes – the separation of people according to religion – after a number of flare ups in recent weeks.

Meanwhile, Germany's domestic intelligence chief warned of a radicalisation of right-wing groups amid a record influx of migrants as xenophobic rallies and clashes shook several towns at the weekend.

Flashpoint: In the German city of Leipzig, the right-wing rally 'Offensive for Germany', organised by local anti-Islam activists with about 400 marchers, sparked a larger counter-protest that police said drew more than 1,000 left-wing activists (above) over Germany's plans to allow a record influx of migrants into the country

Conflict: In the ensuing street clashes, the rival groups hurled rocks and fireworks at each other

Tensions boiling over: Police detain a left-wing protester after clashes during the right-wing Offensive for Germany protest rally against refugees in Leipzig, eastern Germany over the weekend

Conservative politicians back the calls for separated refugee centres, claiming Christians in the homes are being harassed and persecuted by hardline Muslims.

The former minister of the interior Hans-Peter Friedrich said: 'It is sad, but obviously necessary that we require the separation of asylum seekers according to religion.'

The current chairman of the ruling CDU parliamentaty group, Volker Kauder, said: 'Muslim associations should clearly renounce attacks on Christians in the asylum homes.'

Late in August in Suhl, a dispute fuelled by religious differences flared up into a riot with 17 people eventually needing hospital treatment. It broke out after copies of the Koran were defaced.

In Sunday night's food riot, the police were also attacked as they tried to calm the situation and responded with tear gas. Most of those injured suffered the effects of the gas.

Germany's domestic intelligence agency also warned at the weekend that the far-right is becoming increasingly radicalised as a result of the country's decision to allow up to a million refugees in this year.

Germany's domestic intelligence chief warned of a radicalisation of right-wing groups (like the one above) amid a record influx of migrants as xenophobic rallies and clashes shook several towns at the weekend

Anger: German spy chief Hans-Georg Maassen warned that the far-right is becoming increasingly radicalised as a result of the country's decision to allow up to a million refugees in this year

'What we're seeing in connection with the refugee crisis is a mobilisation on the street of right-wing extremists, but also of some left-wing extremists who oppose them,' said Hans-Georg Maassen.

He added that for the past few years the agency - the Office for the Protection of the Constitution - had witnessed a 'radicalisation' and 'a greater willingness to use violence' by all extremist groups.

Police and soldiers guarded two buses carrying about 100 migrants Saturday night to a shelter in the town of Niederau, in the eastern Saxony state, after right-wing protesters had rallied at the site, a former supermarket, since Friday.

Police officers assess the scene after a mass riot broke out over food at a tented refugee camp in Germany

More than 1,000 people also demonstrated against refugees in several towns in the eastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Friday, including in coastal Stralsund where three people were wounded in clashes with counter-protesters.

In the eastern city of Leipzig, the right-wing rally 'Offensive for Germany', organised by local anti-Islam activists with about 400 marchers, sparked a larger counter-protest that police said drew more than 1,000 activists.

In the ensuing street clashes, the rival groups hurled rocks and fireworks at each other.

In the western city of Bremen unidentified people attempted to set fire to a tent that was to house refugees from October.