YouTube has started removing robot fight videos after a new algorithm began identifying them as 'animal cruelty'.

Gamers are receiving messages accusing them of breaching guidelines by uploading videos 'forcing animals to fight', that are likened to dog and cock fights, before their clip of machine-bashing-machine is deleted.

It is claimed that a new algorithm let loose on the video platform may be behind the removals as users called on YouTube to stop this from happening.

YouTube has been removing videos of robot fights from its website after branding them 'animal cruelty'

Gamers are receiving messages accusing them of breaching YouTube's guidelines by uploading videos 'forcing animals to fight' that are likened to dog fighting and cock fighting when they upload a clip of a machine bashing another machine

It is claimed that a new algorithm let loose by YouTube on its video platform is behind the deletions

Angus, who posts online under the alias Maker's Muse, highlighted the problem this week in a post on the website.

'I do not support animal cruelty in the slightest', he said, 'but what's happening is that it's false flagged robots smashing each other as animals smashing each other.

'I'm not sure how it's happened but there's clearly no manual review.'

Robot enthusiast World of Woodrow said this could be the 'nail in the coffin' for the hobby and called on other robot-bashing lovers to highlight the issue 'worldwide'.

'We're not sure what's happened, or why it's started to do this,' he said in a video uploaded to the website.

'It needs to be fixed as quickly as possible. The YouTube robot community doesn't need this right now with robot games being shelved, robot wars being cancelled.

Angus, who posts online under the alias Maker's Muse, highlighted the problem this week in a post on the website

'There's so much crap happening at the minute that this is sort of a nail to a coffin that doesn't need nailing.'

A message displayed by YouTube to users who had their videos removed accused the footage of displaying the 'infliction of animal suffering or the forcing of animals to fight'

'This is not allowed on YouTube,' it read, 'Examples include, but are not limited to, dog fighting and cock fighting'.

The message also claimed that YouTube reviews footage on a 'case-by-case' basis, and 'limited exceptions' could be made for videos with 'sufficient or appropriate context and where the purpose of posting is clear'.

YouTube told MailOnline in a statement: 'With the massive volume of videos on our site, sometimes we make the wrong call.

'When it's brought to our attention that a video has been removed mistakenly, we act quickly to reinstate it. We also offer uploaders the ability to appeal removals and we will re-review the content.'

YouTube also said that they do not have a policy which prohibits videos of robots fighting.