Pensioners celebrating a 70th birthday were punched and pushed to the floor when violent thugs gatecrashed their party.

A rampaging mob of up to nine men forced their way through a locked door to get into the Ashford International Sports and Social Club in Beaver Road.

Shocked guests were left with swollen noses, black eyes and cut faces following the terrifying incident, which happened at about 10.30pm on Saturday.

One partygoer said the pensioner celebrating her milestone birthday was shoved to the ground during the attack, which left guests "crying and shaking".

She said: "When booking you have to supply the club with a detailed list of guests' names and you expect no one else will be allowed in.

"But as the party went on, a male came up the fire escape and tried to join in by saying he was family.

"Some guests told him it was private and he shook hands and went away.

"But about 15 minutes later, at 10.30pm, more men appeared at the double-fronted doors and all of them stampeded in, punching pensioners and women in the face.

"Partygoers rallied and pushed the males back outside the doors, but about five minutes later they burst in again punching anyone and pushing the birthday lady to the floor."

Bar manager Kelly Barden said the men broke into the function room above the bar, which can be hired out for private parties on Saturday nights.

"We had security on the door and the bar staff upstairs tried to stop them, but there were so many of them," she said.

"The guests were telling them they were not invited, but they came in and overpowered security.

"It was Grand National day so it was unusually busy everywhere - we think they heard the music as they walked past the club.

"All of the staff were a bit shaken."

Police and ambulance crews rushed to the site just after 11pm.

Officers detained two men at the scene, arresting a 25-year-old man from Harrietsham on suspicion of assault and a 35-year-old man from Bethersden on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly.

Both have been released pending further inquiries.

Following the arrests, guests were kept in the club for about an hour as officers took photos of their injuries.

Pensioners aged up to 90 years old and babies were among those in attendance.

Managers at the club - which was open as usual on Sunday following the incident - have provided CCTV footage to police.