Hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside the gates of the main British embassy compound in Tehran in protest at recent sanctions imposed by the US, UK and Canada.

The protesters - mainly hardline students - threw petrol bombs and stones and chanted "the embassy of Britain should be taken over" and "death to England".

As anger grew, the crowd surged past riot police to break into the compound. Another British compound was also targeted by demonstrators in the north of the capital.

As well as ransacking the offices, they reportedly tore down a framed picture of Queen Elizabeth II and - as this picture shows - the royal coat of arms.

The Union Jack was burned.

After a couple of hours, riot police appeared to have restored order but the UK foreign office condemned the incident as "utterly unacceptable".