Police have looked the other way as gangs of young people have terrorised a Catholic community in north-east Vietnam, according to reports.

Throughout June gangs of youths – wearing red T-shirts with yellow stars and waving national flags – have attacked Catholics and their property in Song Ngoc parish in Quynh Luu District of Nghe An province, UCA News reported.

Eleven priests wrote in a petition to the Vietnamese government: “We see that the attacks have been carried out in an orchestrated manner, and the police know well what is occurring, but are ignoring what is going on.”