text: Police are trying to find a gang of vigilante paedophile hunters accused of posing as children online and then beating up men who agree to meet them. The group working in the North-West has been accused of filming the attacks, the latest of which was on Saturday, and then sending online messages demanding money to keep the film secret. One teenager has told Greater Manchester Police he was beaten up by the gang, who reportedly tricked him into believing he was meeting an underage girl in a church car park after dark. The 19-year-old thought he was meeting a 14-year-old girl he had spoken to on on the internet in Atherton - but when he got there he was attacked by a gang of men who accused him of being a paedophile. Attack: One teenager has told Greater Manchester Police he was beaten up by the gang, who reportedly tricked him into believing he was meeting an underage girl in a church car park in Atherton (pictured) After escaping, the teenager then reported the matter to police and was promptly arrested on suspicion of grooming. He has been bailed while police investigate. In a second similar incident, concerned shoppers called police when they saw a man being beaten up in Market Place in Wigan at about 2.40pm on Saturday. Their target, Andrew O'Neill, 25, has since admitted in court that he groomed an under-age girl. He had made contact on a dating website with a 'girl' called Alex, Wigan Magistrates' Court heard. But after booking a hotel room and turning up to meet the girl in Wigan on Saturday afternoon, he was confronted by a number of men and attacked. Concerned shoppers witnessed the assault on Market Place in the town centre as O'Neill was head-butted and lost two front teeth. Other members of the group filmed the incident. He escaped the attack and went to the police to report the assault. The video was then posted on Facebook with the tag 'NWI Nonce Busters' - believed to be a reference to right-wing group the North West Infidels. The video has since been taken down. O'Neill, formerly of Castlehey, Skelmersdale, was charged by police after reporting the assault and admitted an offence of attempting to meet a girl under 16 following grooming, between April 11 and 18. He was remanded into custody for his own safety and will appear for sentence at Liverpool Crown Court on May 11. Nicola Ormerod, prosecuting, said: 'The defendant has contacted somebody said to be called 'Alex' on a profile on a dating website. 'General discussions then turn flirty and sexual and she said she is 14. Second meeting: Concerned shoppers called police when they saw a man lose his teeth after being beaten up in Market Place in Wigan . 'There's an arrangement made for the two parties to meet. The defendant has already booked a hotel room and is found in possession of a tube of lubricant. 'It's been a set-up profile from a group. He thought this person was 14 and has arranged to meet for the relevant offence. 'It has had press coverage over the weekend. It is from a particular group who set this up and the defendant has been assaulted.' Andrea Woods, defending, said O'Neill had no previous convictions and co-operated with police. O'Neill was the second man arrested by police over the weekend following alleged vigilante paedophile stings. A second man, aged 19, has been released on bail on suspicion of committing a similar offence to O'Neill. Det Insp Charlotte Cadden from Bolton police said: 'These men were targeted because they had illegally arranged to meet up with underage girls online. Andrew O'Neill, 25, one of the vigilante group's targets, has since admitted at Wigan Magistrates' Court (above) that he groomed an under-age girl . 'I want to make it clear that grooming and arranging to meet up with children you have met over the internet is a criminal offence and if you are caught doing this you will be arrested and prosecuted. 'It is unacceptable that this group are posing as underage girls and meeting up with men with the view to either blackmailing them or attacking them in the street. 'If you have any information regarding these incidents, please contact the police as soon as possible.' The first attacker in the Friday incident was white, aged between 18 and 20, had shaven brown hair and was wearing a white t-shirt and a black tracksuit. He was carrying a black Foot Asylum drawstring bag and had a tattooed left arm. The second attacker was a white woman, about 5ft 4in tall with reddish, dark hair wearing a grey hoodie and a black top. The third is a white man, aged in his 40s, 5ft 4in tall, wearing glasses and carrying a walking stick, while the fourth is a white man with short brown receding hair and wearing a blue T-Shirt. Anyone with information can call police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.
target: Gang in North-West allegedly beating up and blackmailing string of men .
  They pose as children online and attack those who agree to meet them .
  Man punched in church car park and another loses teeth in high street .
  Two victims have also been arrested by police on suspicion of grooming .