Police are hunting a violent band of vigilantes who are using the internet to tempt suspected paedophiles into bogus liaisons with under-age girls - then beating them up.

The gang films its attacks to blackmail its victims and has posted at least one brutal assault onto Facebook.

Detectives have uncovered two similar beatings they are linking to the same vigilante mob - but suspect there could be others.

They have arrested two beating victims on suspicion of child sex grooming offences and are now hunting the mob, which includes a woman and a man with a walking stick.

In the first known incident the gang attacked a 19-year-old man in a church car park in Atherton on Friday night - he thought he would be meeting a girl of 14.

The mob filmed the attack at around 9pm and accused their victim of being a paedophile.

The young man managed to escape but the gang later blackmailed him, ordering him to hand over money or the video of the beating would be uploaded onto Facebook.

The man went to the police the following day and he was arrested on suspicion of child sex grooming. He was interviewed and released on bail pending further enquiries.

Police believe the same gang is behind a second similar attack on Saturday afternoon when they lured a 25-year-old man - who also believed he was meeting a girl of 14 - to Market Place in Wigan.

Shocked shoppers watched as the victim was beaten at around 2.40pm. He was head-butted and two of his teeth were knocked out as other members of the group filmed the attack and later posted it online.

The injured victim managed to get away and went to a police station to report the assault.

Police arrested him on suspicion of child sex grooming. He remained in custody and was still being questioned by detectives today (Sunday).

As well as investigating the alleged grooming offences, detectives have launched a hunt to trace the vigilante mob.

Detective Inspector Charlotte Cadden, of the Bolton division of Greater Manchester Police, said: “These men were targeted because they had illegally arranged to meet up with underage girls online.

“I want to make it clear that grooming and arranging to meet up with children you have met over the internet is a criminal offence and if you are caught doing this you will be arrested and prosecuted.

“It is unacceptable that this group are posing as underage girls and meeting up with men with the view to either blackmailing them or attacking them in the street.

“If you have any information regarding these incidents, please contact the police as soon as possible.”

The victim of the Market Place beating has described one of the men who attacked him as 18 to 20, white, with brown shaven hair. He was wearing a white t-shirt, a black tracksuit and was carrying a black Foot Asylum drawstring bag. He has a tattooed left arm.

The second attacker is said to be a white woman, about 5ft 4in tall with reddish, dark hair. She wore a grey hoodie and a black top.

The third is described as a white man, aged in his 40s, 5ft 4in tall and wore glasses. He was carrying a walking stick.

The fourth is said to be a white man with short brown receding hair. He was wearing a blue t-shirt.

Anyone with any information is asked to call police on 101 or Crimestoppers 0800 555 111.

Footage shows 'paedophile' being confronted in ton centre by angry group

(Image: Facebook)

A video posted online appears to shows a man caught out by a Facebook sting being angrily confronted by a vigilante group.

The man - who is accused by the group of trying to meet with a 14-year-old girl - is angrily confronted by the angry mob in a Wigan street and asked ‘Do you want to explain what you’re doing here today?’.

One member of the group then reads out excerpts from online exchanges in which the man is said to have suggested having sex with the girl in a hotel room.

The nervous man tells his inquisitor ‘It got out of hand’ and adds ‘I’m a mess’.

In an expletive-laden rant, the man is accused of being a ‘disgusting sex offender’.

He says ‘sorry’ and is forced to read out some of the explicit messages he is said to have written.

Several people can be seen filming the exchange in Market Place in Wigan on Saturday afternoon as shoppers go about their business.

Two videos featuring the same scene were posted onto the Facebook page of far-right group shortly after the encounter.

The man who appears in the video is said to have lost two front teeth when he was head-butted, although no attack is shown.