Angry protesters clashed with police in a town in western Serbia and in the capital Belgrade on Saturday as tensions soared further in the Balkan nation following days of violent demonstrations.

The offices of the the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) have been set on fire during a fifth night of unrest in a row that saw fresh clashes between anti-government protesters and riot police.

Serbia's police used teargas and crowd control vehicles on Friday evening in Belgrade to disperse anti-government protesters who threw firecrackers and flares at police officers in what is seen as a major escalation of the nine-month-long protests.