This shocking video shows hundreds of students gathering in a park to take part in a mass snowball fight - flouting strict Covid regulations in lockdown.

Witnesses said they were shocked at the scenes, which they claimed showed a "blatant disregard" for the strain the NHS is under.

Around 200 people gathered in Leeds for the snowball fight, which one student on Twitter dubbed "the battle of Hyde Park".

Footage shows the participants split into two opposing groups, charging at each other and throwing snowballs at around 2pm today (Thurs).

However, horrified onlookers were left shocked as mass gatherings are banned under lockdown rules.

Liam Ford, who lives nearby, shot a brief video after coming across the commotion while on a walk with his girlfriend.

The furloughed retail worker said: "With what's going on, I can't condone mass gatherings like that.

"I've really come to appreciate going for a walk and having that time, I think these people have abused that.

"We were going for a walk in the park, it's literally around the corner from our house, and we heard all this commotion.

"I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

"There were two groups of around 100 people each side, stood apart, charging at each other and throwing snowballs.

"I was stood there for a good ten minutes and there times when it quietened down and then picked back up again.

"It just shows a blatant disregard for the NHS and the strain it is under."

Liam shared the video on social media and one Twitter user fumed: "Pandemic? What pandemic?! It's no wonder people are dying when this sort of thing occurs."

He added: "It's quite an open park so you can see the middle of it from wherever you are. Every so often you could hear them picking up again.

"For there to be so many people, I think there must have been some sort of organisation behind it."

Hyde Park is a large public park north-west of Leeds city centre, within an inner-city residential area of the same name.

It is a hugely popular area with students and houses a large number of student digs.

A student who took part in the snowball fight has defended the mass gathering as "the most fun we've had sober".

Max Powell, a first year student at Leeds Beckett University, dismissed concerns over the gathering spreading Covid as "it isn't much of a problem to young healthy people".

Max, 18, said: "At the end of the day, we want to have fun.

"This is the most fun we’ve had sober. It was a class day.

"Look at the stats. Covid isn’t much of a problem to young healthy people who aren’t in contact with vulnerable people while at uni.

"Most people just turned up with a few mates and hoped there’d be people there.

"I went along with people from other accommodation I haven't seen for a while."

The large crowd was dispersed without any issues, police said.

A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Police said: "We are aware of this matter. All persons dispersed".