Hong Kong: Police use pepper spray and batons to disperse Mong Kok street vendor protesters

Riot police used batons and pepper spray to break up crowds after clashes erupted when authorities tried to remove illegal street vendors from a district of Hong Kong - the worst street violence since pro-democracy protests in 2014.

Protesters hurled masonry at police and set fire to dustbins as scuffles broke out on the streets of Mong Kok.

The underground train station for the bustling shopping district was closed temporarily.

Video shows one officer firing his pistol into the air in an attempt to disperse the chaotic crowds.

Police say that three men, aged 27 to 35, were initially arrested for assaulting a police officer and obstructing police.

But at least 28 people have since been arrested and 44 officers were injured, local broadcaster RTHK reports.

The clashes happened after police moved in to clear out "hawkers" - illegal vendors who sell local street food delicacies from makeshift stalls.

The hawkers, who are a common sight on the streets of Hong Kong, attracted a social media following, with the hashtag #FishballRevolution.

A police statement said:

The scuffles eventually died out in the early hours of Tuesday morning, police told the Reuters news agency.

Over 100 people had confronted police in a fraught stand-off hours earlier on the Chinese New Year holiday, when much of the city is shut down for celebrations.