CCTV footage from Cheshire shows around 30 masked men, believed to be linked to the McPhee traveller family, attacking a property linked to the McGinley family in Middlewich. The armed gang is understood to have travelled hundreds of miles from Scotland to target the home on Saturday morning.
Violent scenes unfold at Middlewich property
A tipper truck reversed at speed into vehicles parked in the driveway and collapsed a brick garden wall. Dozens of masked men wielding weapons then jumped out of a convoy of cars and descended on the home. The men smashed cars and the property's windows with baseball bats and pick-axes, and the truck used to ram the driveway was set on fire during the chaos.
A man who emerged from the home chased the masked men as they fled the scene. The footage was shared on social media with a taunting message: "You'll never beat the Irish, no matter what you do and we'll fight you til the end. 30 McPhee men against me and my father."
Long-running feud continues
The two families have been embroiled in a long-running feud previously linked to violent incidents across Scotland. Days earlier, the Record reported on a brawl between the warring clans outside a newsagent near Glasgow. The families clashed with shovels in a daylight brawl in the Rutherglen area last Wednesday.
Footage posted on TikTok showed a member of the McPhee family hurling abuse outside the shop. The man shouts: "You got me charged with attempted murder, you dirty grasses." He then challenges the other group to settle the dispute in hand-to-hand combat, saying: "come down and fight - no weapons."
Police investigate after disturbances
In another video posted hours later, the confrontation escalated as the McGinleys closed the gap between the two families. Several members brandished shovels as they advanced towards the McPhees. Dressed in work clothing, the McGinleys attempted to strike the rival group with the tools, but the shovels came crashing down against the pavement in a series of loud clanks.
The war of words continued in the comments section beneath the TikTok post. One McGinley member told the McPhees that they were their "bosses" before claiming the McPhees had locked themselves away inside the shop. The McGinley member added: "You know we run you seven days a week."
Police Scotland confirmed that no one was injured and they have launched an investigation. A spokesperson for the force said: "Around 12.20pm on Wednesday, 9 September, 2026, we were called to a report of a group of males causing a disturbance on Hamilton Road in Rutherglen. Officers attended however there was nothing ongoing and no reported injuries. Enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances."
Previous incidents in the feud
The explosive scenes come after years of apparent hostility involving the families, with previous incidents sparking police investigations. In May 2021, footage emerged of a caravan being targeted in what appeared to be a co-ordinated attack at Queen's Drive Retail Park in Kilmarnock. In November 2022, footage emerged showing violent clashes between the McPhee family and another family known as the Williamsons in North Lanarkshire.
The McPhee family also hit the headlines in 2018 after Robert McPhee and other members of the family were jailed over a campaign of kidnappings, violence and intimidation against workers. Police in Cheshire have been contacted for comment.
