Brawl erupts as 'paedophile hunters' confront alleged groomer

A violent brawl broke out in a shopping mall after a group of 'paedophile hunters' confronted a man who is alleged to have groomed an underaged girl.

The group, known as 'The Hunted One', or the 'Paedophile/Sexual Predator Hunting team', broadcast the altercation on Facebook live, where they confronted the man who believed he was meeting up with a 14-year-old girl.

The hunters allege the man made lewd comments to the girl in an online chatroom.

As the group approach the 29-year-old man, one 'hunter' can be heard saying: "What are you doing here today? You're here to meet a child for sex, yeah?"

The man then shakes his head, denying allegations of grooming, telling the group: "No sir. She said she was 18."

The group then force the man to admit he brought condoms with him, before showing them to the camera.

The confrontation, which took place at Bluewater mall in Kent on Sunday, then turned violent when a man from another group started kicking and punching the alleged groomer.

Footage shows the men grappling with the suspect and repeatedly yelling "f**king nonce".

Security guards stepped in to break up the brawl before police arrived at the scene.

Detective Chief Inspector Emma Banks said the 29-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of grooming.

"The arrested man is in custody," she said.

"I strongly discourage people taking the law into their own hands to avoid them and others including individuals who may have been wrongfully identified, being put in any danger.

"Any acts of violence reported will always be fully investigated, and enquiries into this incident are ongoing.

The same group were behind the arrest of two other men in Kent on suspicion of grooming in separate incidents on Friday.