Fierce clashes have broken out between Greek residents and police in Keratea outside Athens in a dispute over a local landfill site.

Amateur video showed more than 100 residents throwing stones and Molotov cocktails on a highway running through the area, with police using tear gas in response.

Residents shouted "Police, pigs, murderers" as they circled one of the police stations. Police vehicles were overturned and burnt with two police stations attacked and six police cars damaged.

Residents opposed to a new garbage dump have been battling with police who have been guarding the entrance to the landfill site for several weeks. The highway to the site has been blocked with a triple-layered police cordon in an attempt to stop residents from approaching it. Construction on the dump has been temporarily stopped.

The stand-off continued when a traditional Epiphany ceremony was interrupted. The highway to the landfill site also leads to a lake near Keratea where the ceremony takes place each year. But with riot police blocking the road, a priest and residents were unable to reach the lake.

Instead the priest blessed a crucifix which was to be used in the ceremony with water from a small urn, and then gave his blessing to the police as hundreds of angry residents booed and jeered the officers.

The Epiphany ceremony traditionally involves a priest blessing the water of the lake and throwing a cross into the water. Residents then jump in and compete to fetch the crucifix.