POLICE are investigating a shocking video which appears to show a mass brawl breaking out at T in the Park – less than two hours after after gates were opened.
The 10-second-clip shows several boys in their late teens to early 20s punching each other to the sounds of screams from onlookers.
One thug can also been seen smashing a red plastic sledge over the head of a topless man.
Several other boys are shown punching each other in the face surrounded by their piles of camping gear.
Shocked onlookers can be seen watching on in the background while girls are heard screaming during the fight.
The violent footage, said to have been filmed at Strathallan Castle in Perthshire, emerged shortly after lunchtime on Thursday.
The video was uploaded with the comment: “Well it looks like the a******* have ruined T in the Park again.”
It emerges just hours before hundreds of acts start taking to the stage for the four night event.
Dozens of outraged festival goers have taken to Facebook to slam the thugs for giving the festival a bad name.
Lewis McCruden wrote: “Thank f*** for T in the Park. Means one weekend a year real music fans can enjoy the clubs in their local cities whilst all the c**** from everywhere congregate in a field to listen to p*** whilst taking swings at each other. The last band on the Sunday – should do us all a favour and release nerve gas after their set.”
Lisa Mcshane wrote: “See, there being a good few arrests this year again then. They need to get a serious grip of all these wee dafties. T was never like this.”
Matt Mclaren said: “F***** stupid bams ruining it for everyone else.”
And Natalie Houston wrote: “Should ban the lot of them, honestly.”
A Police Scotland spokesman said: “We have been made aware of the video and are making enquiries.”
Event organisers had only just released a statement sharing their excitement now that the annual event was well and truly underway.
It read: “The wait is over for the fun to begin – T in the Park got underway this afternoon as the first campers arrived and pitched their tents.
“The sun shone down on the Perthshire countryside this afternoon as the campsite gates opened, and festival organisers welcomed the first fans to T in the Park 2016.”
Last year’s event was marred by violence and drugs.
One video surfaced online showing a fight in which a bottle was broken over the head of a young man leaving blood gushing from his forehead.
Another featured a man rolling around on the floor – apparently high.
Afterwards it emerged that he had been thrown out of the festival on Thursday night, before any bands had taken to the stage.
There were also widespread concerns about the lack of security and the availability of drugs.
One man was found dead in a portaloo after a suspected drug overdose.
