A police vehicle was set alight by protesters in the suburb of Helwan south of Cairo on Friday.

The police conscript who was driving the vehicle told prosecutors a number of men pulled him out of the driver's seat, beat him and set fire to the patrol vehicle.

Al-Ahram's Arabic news website reported that the attackers were part of a demonstration in support of ousted president Mohamed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood which was taking place at a nearby mosque following Friday prayers.

Pro-Morsi demonstrations are common on Fridays despite increasing crackdowns on supporters of Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood, and the passing of legislation last year that made demonstrating without police permission illegal.