Police capsicum spray group of Schoolies at Phillip Island after massive brawl

Police were forced to capsicum spray Schoolies after a brawl broke out between 1000 school leavers on Phillip Island’s foreshore.

Police were forced to capsicum spray Schoolies after a massive brawl broke out in a crowd of 1000 school leavers on Phillip Island’s foreshore on Sunday.

Police said they were significantly outnumbered during the first week of celebrations with “nowhere near enough” officers to control the situation.

“There were about 700 to 1000 Schoolies gathered on Saturday night (and into Sunday),” Senior Sergeant Peter Watson said.

“We probably had around six officers in attendance (but) the spray had an immediate effect.”

Police said the brawl broke out about 1.30am but the crowd quickly dispersed and no one was identified.

More police are expected to arrive on the island this week.

Police say Schoolies also started an illegal fire on Cowes beach while school leavers gathered at the foreshore rotunda.

The graduates built the fire with branches collected from the surrounding shrub.

On the Bass Coast it is illegal to start an open air fire in a residential area.

No one was charged.

It comes after a rave on top of a storage unit caved in at The Jetty in Cowes last week which cost the owner $5000 in repairs and trapped Schoolies.

Police investigations are continuing.