A gang of travellers allegedly attacked a group of teachers in a Sainsbury's car park today after stealing the fuel from their coach.

The teachers and tour guides were set upon as they accompanied 150 French and Polish students, who were on a visit to Madame Tussauds in central London.

As they pulled into the supermarket in Sydenham, south east London, at 7.50am this morning they were surrounded by a 12-strong gang who emptied the fuel tank of one of their two coaches.

Men grapple in a Sainsbury's car park after a gang of travellers allegedly attacked a group of teachers, and stole the fuel from their coach. As the tour guides fought back, they claim they were attacked by the travellers who threw scalding hot tea over them

As the tour guides fought back, they claim they were attacked by the travellers who threw scalding hot tea over them, tried to 'gauge out' one woman's eyes, pushed and threatened other staff members and stole their mobile phones.

One member of the group, who asked not to be named, told MailOnline the students, who were aged 11-17, were 'terrified' as their coach was surrounded by ten caravans.

The woman, who works for a company organising visits for overseas students, claimed the travellers had children with them.

She said she and her colleagues were attacked by a group made up of middle aged men and boys as young as 17.

She said: 'Their fingerprints were all over the petrol tanks and they removed 500 litres of petrol from the coach - there were trails to and from their caravans.

'My female colleague got attacked by a man. He pushed her and took a picture of her licence plate then threatened to find her and burn her house down.

'One of my male colleagues jumped into defend her then the traveller's wife came out with her cousins and threw tea in our faces.

The group were set upon as they pulled into the supermarket in Sydenham, south east London (pictured)

One member of the group, who asked not to be named, told MailOnline the students, who were aged 11-17, were 'terrified' as their coach was surrounded by ten caravans

'They were fighting with babies on their hips. The tour guide from Poland got kicked in the stomach and I got hit in the face.'

The woman claims it took half an hour for a police dog unit to arrive on the scene, who then told the group there was 'nothing they could do', because 'all their resources were in central London.'

She added: 'The travellers changed out of their bloodied clothing and were laughing at police. They removed their number plates and put on their Irish number plates.

'It was like like something out of Jekyll and Hyde. Our children were visibly distraught.

One witness told MailOnline that her female colleague had been attacked by a man, who pushed her and threatened to find her home, and burn it down

'They stuffed the petrol tank with cloth. The students were afraid to step in the petrol - they thought if anyone was smoking, they'd be set on fire - the area reeked of diesel.

'One of the students is the daughter of a Polish diplomat. She was put in a situation where she unsafe.'

The woman said they had to walk to the nearby petrol station to refill the coach's fuel tanks before they could leave the scene, by which time the traveller group had fled.

'It was pandemonium. One had a knife on her, she was screaming, with a baby in her hand.

'They stole an iPhone 8 and a Samsung. The organisers' car door was open and they stole her phone from it.'

The Met Police and Sainsbury's have been contacted for comment.