Video: Violent brawl breaks out at Doncaster primary school as residents cram into HS2 meeting

A violent brawl broke out at Barnburgh Primary School as tensions ran high as residents queued to get into a public meeting on HS2.

Police had to be called in as hundreds of people tried to get into the meeting about a revised routing of the high-speed railway.

Angry residents who were unable to get into the building were calling for a second meeting to accommodate everyone who wanted to attend.

At the start of the video a man wearing a blue t-shirt can be heard saying to a woman holding a microphone: “Come on let’s have a meeting outside.

“It’s much easier. I can’t hear a word you were saying. There are all these people trying to make a point.”

He then tries to get through the crowd, adding: “I’ll go and ask these people. I would like to talk to people”

As he tries to barge through the crowd he is blocked by a man in a grey suit and pink shirt who dramatically pushes him to the ground.

A blonde woman then shouts, accusing the man in the blue t-shirt of hurting her in the melee.

She is heard to say: “You just hurt me.”

“You did it, you did. You just bruised my leg.”

The blue t-shirt man replies: “He just crushed me.”

Police were called to the scene, but no arrests were made.

The meeting, at Doncaster’s Barnburgh Primary School, followed reviewed plans for the HS2 line through South Yorkshire, rerouting the tracks through Sheffield centre and up through Barnsley. Previous proposals had the railway running to Meadowhall in Sheffield and through Doncaster.

An HS2 statement said: “We recognise that making sure communities know as much as possible about HS2, and how it may affects them, is extremely important and understand that people will have concerns.

“Our community engagement on the new route through Yorkshire has seen us speak with more than 3,000 residents at a series of HS2 public information events over the last two weeks.

“We will continue to hold these events, including one tomorrow in Crofton, to provide information and answer questions about the proposed route and next steps.”

A South Yorkshire Police spokesman said officers were called to the Church Lane meeting at about 7pm.

The spokesman added: “It was reported that a significant number of people were trying to enter the premises to attend the meeting, which caused some disruption.

“Upon officer arrival, there was a significant number of people at the location but no criminal offences were reported and no arrests were made.”