Easter 2016: Egg hunt descends into madness as 'locust' parents rush fields and trample children

One child was left 'bloody' and two-year-old was pushed into mud, according to reports

A four-year-old child was reportedly left 'bloody' after parents stole the eggs out of the children's baskets (Rex)

An Easter egg hunt has descended into chaos after pushy parents stormed the field and trampled children as young as two.

Around 9,000 eggs had been hidden in three fields at a visitor centre run by candy company Pez in Orange, Connecticut, for children to find with the aim of staggering different start times for three different age groups.

But hundreds of people refused to wait for their allotted time and overwhelmed the employees manning the third annual free event.

Describing the parents as “locusts”, Pez General Manager Shawn Peterson told local news channel WFSB-TV that people "rushed the field and took everything."

Although there were no official reports of any injuries witnesses reported one four-year-old was left bloody and a two-year-old was shoved into the mud.

One parent, Nicole Welch, who attended the event with her four-year-old son said: "When it came time at like 10:30 am, the parents just bum-rushed that area”.

She said parents were knocking over and trampling the children with eggs being stolen directly out of their baskets.

Ms Welch said her son had been left “traumatised” by the experience and when he left he "had a broken basket and he was hysterically crying".

Several parents criticised the company for its lack of organisation on Saturday with one saying his four-year-old grandson had been left "bloody" after the incident and asked “where the safety of our children in your thought process”.

But others defended the company with Chyrie Barbery Moore writing on the company's Facebook page: “Thank you for what you tried to do for the kids at the egg hunt yesterday. Sadly, immaturity and inconsiderateness come in all ages.

“The parents need to open their wallet some and do for their own kids. Next time, just make donations to charities and let them pass the candy out in baskets they give away.”