Dozens of cars were set alight and stones thrown at police as gangs of masked youths went rampaging across Sweden on Monday evening.

Fires were reported in Malmö, Gothenburg and Helsingborg as dramatic footage showed youths targeting vehicles in a shopping centre and hospital car park at Frölunda Torg in the west of the country.

Police were last night investigating whether the various blazes which broke out across the country were related.

The largest group of youngsters apparently gathered in Trollhättan north of Gothenburg where as many as 40 people threw stones and started fires.

Dramatic footage has emerged of cars being set alight by masked attackers in Sweden

Footage showed cars burning bright orange in a large car park at Frölunda Torg, which includes a specialist hospital and a major shopping centre.

There were also reports of young people setting cars on fire in Hjällbo, to the north east of Gothenburg, in Malmo, at the southern tip of the country, and in the city of Helsingborg.

Emergency services were tackling the apparent outbreak of violence with no injuries reported, Swedish police said.

All the fires had been extinguished by midnight and police said the 'identification of young people was ongoing' although it was not clear if any arrests had been made.

'While most fires started within a short period of time, it can not be excluded that there is a connection between the fires, the case will be investigated,' police said.

Swedish national radio reported that around 40 firefighters were in action tackling the different blazes.

Around 80 vehicles had been vandalised in total, Swedish television reported, with three caravans and a truck also targeted, and witnesses describing 'dark-haired' youngsters launching the attacks.

The violence comes just three weeks before Swedish voters go to the polls in a general election.

Police said they were dealing with fires at a car park near a shopping centre and specialist hospital at Frölunda Torg, south-west of Gothenburg.

Around 60 vehicles had been vandalised in total, Swedish television reported, with stones also thrown at police by masked men