One man lost part of his foot and another had half of his ear bitten off as two rival Protestant gangs clashed outside a Derry night-club and inside the city's hospital early yesterday morning.
Fights between the rival gangs from the villages of Newbuildings, near Derry, and Donemana, Co. Tyrone, started inside and outside Decks restaurant and night-club at Eglinton, on the main Derry- Limavady road.
As members of both gangs fought in the car-park, a man had part of his foot severed.
"It appears someone was trying to drag him into a car and. as they did so, the car was driven off and the man's leg was pulled under the wheel," a spokesman for the Police Service of Northern Ireland said.
"The rival gangs resumed their battle inside Altnagelvin Hospital where the man with the partially severed foot was being treated.
"They continued with their personal vendetta and in so doing terrified both members of the hospital's accident and emergency staff and other patients who were waiting to be treated.
"During these scuffles one man had part of his ear bitten off, a woman was knocked unconscious and a considerable amount of damage was caused to the accident and emergency reception area including damage to the large glass doors.
"Two people have been arrested, one for dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm and the other for causing grievous body harm. We will be examining the CCTV tapes from within the hospital and we expect to make further arrests," the PSNI spokesman said.
A spokeswoman for Altnagelvin Hospital said that not for the first time the hospital's accident and emergency area had been the battleground for factional clashes. Ms Stella Burnside, the chief executive of Altnagelvin Hospital Trust, said she was appalled by the violence.
"There is significant damage to the accident and emergency department including to the glass doors which are very expensive. The greater effect really is to the morale and well-being of the staff and patients in accident and emergency who have had to endure yet another horrible incident while trying to care for the sick.
"It is both disturbing and distressing that a hospital with expert staff on hand to provide care for the elderly and sick is hindered in doing its work by the aggressive, threatening and foul behaviour of people who have no regard to the normal rules of a civilised society," Ms Burnside said.
Ms Annie Courtney, SDLP Assembly member for Foyle, described the attack as appalling. "The fact that it continued in such a concerted fashion in the waiting room of a hospital is absolutely unacceptable,"she said.