The UN secretary general has condemned the Hungarian government’s treatment of refugees on its southern border, arguing that the use of teargas, pepper spray and water cannon on people fleeing war and hardship is not acceptable.

Hungary sparked outrage from the international community on Wednesday after firing gas canisters and spraying water at crowds of frustrated refugees who hadbriefly broken through a border gate in protest at being prevented from crossing from Serbia.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon said: “I was shocked to see how these refugees and migrants were treated. It’s not acceptable ... since they are the people who are fleeing the violence and persecution, we must ensure our compassionate leadership.

”Hungary has portrayed its reaction as a legitimate response to an invasion, claiming without giving further details that a known terrorist was among one of the 29 people arrested during the clashes on Wednesday. In response, Serbian politicians condemned what they saw as an infringement of Serbian sovereignty.

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