Refugees have reportedly broken through a fence on the Macedonian and Greek border using a home-made battering ram.

BBC footage shows refugees ripping away barbed wire and pushing against the fence to get through.

Protesters clashed with authorities as they chanted “Open the border!” and threw stones at Macedonian police as a few hundred people managed to break through a gate at the border.

Police fired tear gas and stun grenades at the protesters, though no arrests or injuries have been reported. It is not known how many people crossed the border during the incident.

The gate has been used to let trains through at the border crossing and around 500 people forced their way past Greek police to reach it, authorities said.

Thousands of refugees have become stuck at Greece’s border with Macedonia as they wait for the Balkan nation’s authorities to allow them through and to continue on their route.

Refugees break through Macedonia border fence in February Show all 15 1 /15 Refugees break through Macedonia border fence in February Refugees break through Macedonia border fence in February Stranded refugees try to bring down part of the border fence during a protest at the Greek-Macedonian border, near the Greek village of Idomeni Reuters Refugees break through Macedonia border fence in February Stranded refugees try to break a Greek police cordon in order to approach the border fence at the Greek-Macedonian border, near the Greek village of Idomeni Reuters Refugees break through Macedonia border fence in February Stranded refugees flee tear gas fire by the Macedonian police, after trying to bring down part of the border fence during a protest at the Greek-Macedonian border, near the Greek village of Idomeni Reuters Refugees break through Macedonia border fence in February Stranded refugees try to break a Greek police cordon in order to approach the border fence at the Greek-Macedonian border, near the Greek village of Idomeni Reuters Refugees break through Macedonia border fence in February Stranded refugees in the northern Greek village of Idomeni approach the Greek-Macedonian border as they try to enter Macedonia AP Refugees break through Macedonia border fence in February Macedonian riot police officers stand next to part of the border fence brought down by protesting stranded refugees and migrants during a protest at the Greek-Macedonian border, near the Greek village of Idomeni Reuters Refugees break through Macedonia border fence in February Stranded refugees try to bring down part of the border fence during a protest at the Greek-Macedonian border, near the Greek village of Idomeni Reuters Refugees break through Macedonia border fence in February Stranded refugees break an iron fence and throw stones from the Greek side of the border as Macedonian policemen push them back, near the southern Macedonian town of Gevgelija AP Refugees break through Macedonia border fence in February A girl cries as she flees clashes during a protest at the Greek-Macedonian border, near the Greek village of Idomeni Reuters Refugees break through Macedonia border fence in February Refugees try to broke an iron fence from the Greek side of the border as Macedonian police stand guard, near the northern Greek village of Idomeni AP Refugees break through Macedonia border fence in February Stranded refugees and migrants in the northern Greek village of Idomeni approach the Greek-Macedonian border as they try to enter Macedonia AP Refugees break through Macedonia border fence in February A man helps children to run away after Macedonian police fired tear gas at a group of refugees who tried to push their way into Macedonia AP Refugees break through Macedonia border fence in February A woman carries a child on the Greek side of the border as they run away after Macedonian police fired tear gas at a group of refugees who tried to push their way into Macedonia AP Refugees break through Macedonia border fence in February Refugees run away after Macedonian police fired tear gas AP Refugees break through Macedonia border fence in February A woman falls as refugees with their children run away after Macedonian police Getty Images

Overflowing from a packed refugee camp nearby, around 6,500 people are understood to be at or near the Idomeni border crossing, while another 500 people have been moved to a newly created camp on a concrete landing strip 13 miles away, according to police.

Many have been there for up to eight days with minimal food and shelter as they wait to cross the border in to Macedonia, which has said it will only let in as many refugees as neighbouring Serbia will accept.

The crossing has been closed since 4am on Monday, when a total of 300 Syrian and Iraqi refugees were allowed over the border after it opened at 11pm on Sunday night.

Authorities said this system has led to a huge bottleneck being created in Greece where more than 22,000 refugees have become stuck.