Night of violence has led to large and violent far right protests in Germany

A kickboxing champion dubbed the 'hero of Cologne' has told of how he fought off a gang of 'drunken, lecherous Arabs' who were terrifying two young women on New Year's Eve.

Standing at seven foot tall and wielding 130kg of solid muscle, Ivan Jurcevic fought off the four sex attackers as they surrounded their young victims and groped them.

The towering doorman, 44, was working at a hotel overlooking Cologne square when the 1,000-strong sex mob Arab and North African men groped, attacked and robbed up 500 women.

Hotel doorman and champion kickboxer Ivan Jurcevic (pictured), 44, has told of how he protected two young German women from four Arab men on New Year's Eve in Cologne

Dubbed the 'Hero of Cologne, Croat Jurcevic was working at a hotel overlooking Cologne square (pictured, violence outside the city's main train station) when he saw the angry, drunk mob gather outside

Suddenly, two women appeared, begging him to protect them from a gang of men 'who were harassing them'.

Speaking to MailOnline, Mr Jurcevic said: 'There were four of them, young men in their 20s, speaking Arabic. They told me not to interfere, that the girls were "theirs".

'The girls looked like they worked in a bank, they were wearing jeans and coats, nothing provocative, they were really frightened. I told them to stand behind me.'

'Then the loudest member of the gang came at me with a bottle so I kicked him in the chest and sent him flying. Another came at me so I slapped him across the face and he went over as well.

'The leader drew his finger across his throat and told me he would be back to kill me. I stood my ground and they went on their way.'

The former kick-boxer, who has won five world championships, was arrested when he joined a vigilante patrol who took to the city centre on Sunday night - in which six innocent migrants were attacked.

Two young women in their 20s ran up to 7ft tall Jurcevic (pictured), who has won five world kick boxing championships, begging him to protect them

Jurcevic (pictured) told of how men were coming up to women outside the hotel where he was working, adding: 'These Arab men would rub up against them and touch them'

Mr Jurcevic, was working the door at the five-star Hotel Excelsior, near Cathedral Square where the majority of attacks took place, when he noticed an increasingly angry and drunken mob developing outside, including a large number of young Arab men.

When female guests went outside the hotel to smoke these Arab men would rub up against them and touch them. I had to tell them to go away Ivan Jurcevic, 44, hotel doorman

Violent brawls, including a stabbing, broke out just outside the hotel doors, with unnumbered police units powerless to act, he claimed.

That was when the two young women in their 20s appeared out of the chaos and begged for his protection.

He told MailOnline: 'They said these Arab men would not leave them alone. What else could I do? Later the girls went into the hotel to hide.

'Throughout the night there were men coming up to women outside the hotel harassing them.

'When female guests went outside the hotel to smoke these Arab men would rub up against them and touch them. I had to tell them to go away.

'One woman begged me to walk her across the square to where her husband was waiting in the car. There were fireworks going off everywhere and drunks staggering around. She was terrified.'

Jurcevic (pictured), a part time actor, told how the loudest member of the gang of men came at him with a bottle - so he kicked him in the chest and sent him flying. Another ran at him so the kickboxer slapped him across the face and he went over as well

7ft tall hotel doorman Jurcevic added: 'The leader drew his finger across his throat and told me he would be back to kill me. I stood my ground and they went on their way'

Jurcevic said the refugees' reputation 'has been ruined by these lecherous, drunken yobs that have no respect for Germany' (pictured, police control right wing protesters in Cologne)

He added: 'Four months ago we [Germans] were welcoming these people [refugees] with open arms and teddy bears.

Four months ago we [Germans] were welcoming these people [refugees] with open arms and teddy bears. But now their reputation has been ruined by these lecherous, drunken yobs Ivan Jurcevic, 44, hotel doorman

'But now their reputation has been ruined by these lecherous, drunken yobs that have no respect for Germany or German women.

'They were aiming fireworks at the cathedral, walking around drunk and attacking women. It was disgraceful.'

When news of Mr Jurcevic's actions emerged via social media last week he was hailed 'the hero of Cologne'.

Members of the city's newly formed vigilante groups begged him to join them.

But the former Croatian Army commando was among dozens of vigilante volunteers arrested by police on Sunday night as they gathered to 'patrol' the city centre streets of Cologne.

Six innocent foreign-born – African, South Asian and Middle Eastern - men who had nothing to do with the shocking New Year's Eve sex mob were badly beaten by vigilantes the same night. Two Pakistani men remain in hospital.

German Police Union chief Erich Rettinghaus today defended his colleagues' actions on New Year's Eve and stated vigilantism is not the answer to solving Germany's problems.

The New Year's Eve violence in Cologne sparked a wave of violence against ethnic stores and restaurants across Germany as anti-immigration protestors took to the streets (pictured, a smashed shopfront in Leipzig)

In Leipzig around 250 hooded, right wing protesters marched through the city where they lit fireworks and smashed windows (pictured, a trashed kebab shop)

Mr Rettinghaus, leader of the North Rhine Westphalia union branch, told MailOnline: 'It is the police's job to keep the streets safe, not vigilantes.

'We need to have an honest debate about what happened in Cologne on New Year's Eve.