Gardaí are urging anyone who has been a victim of assault to come forward - amid claims that teenagers have been sharing videos of fights and unprovoked attacks to social media.

Clare County Councillor Cathal Crowe said he has asked Gardaí to investigate a Snapchat ‘fight club’ group where he said teenagers are sharing footage of organised fights and random attacks on young people.

He said the 'Irish Drillting' Snapchat group features videos of teenagers fighting in the Clare and Limerick areas.

“There are also, more alarmingly, videos of people being attacked unsuspecting, walking along footpaths and being pummelled and punched and kicked by someone coming from behind them,” he said.

“The videos are very upsetting and disturbing, there are extreme levels of violence in them and they are being circulated as a form of grotesque entertainment.”

Traumatic

He said the group makes light of what are extremely traumatic experiences for the victims.

“Obviously, there is the physical aspect of being beaten or being in a fight,” he said. “The soreness of it.

“But I think what we are really seeing here is the psychological impact.

“After getting that beating a video of you is being circulate right throughout your peer group between school friends and people you don’t even know.

“I think it is quite damaging to a youngster to have those videos going willly nilly all over on line.”

Violent attacks

He said some of the videos appear to show “boys fighting girls” and said some of the attacks include “heads being kicked and jumped on.”

He said the group could easily be shut down, but warned that “a similar page can be set up in minutes and these activities will continue.”

He said the footage should serve as a wake-up call to the Government and technology companies that “their laissez-faire approach to regulation must come to an end.”

In a statement this morning, Gardaí said none of the victims have made any complaint to date.

“If anyone has been a victim of any assault, we would urge them to contact their local Garda Station and the matter will be investigated fully,” said a Garda spokesperson.