Eight minors have been arrested in connection with a possible vigilante attack on a man they suspect was a paedophile, local broadcaster Omroep Zeeland said on Tuesday.

The youths, aged 14 to 16, come from the rural areas of Noord and Zuid-Beveland and attacked the man in the town of Goes. He was hospitalised but has since been discharged, the broadcaster said.

Earlier this month police, ministers and the public prosecution department called on vigilante groups to stop hunting down people they consider to be paedophiles, following the death of a 73-year-old man.

The man, a retired teacher from Arnhem, died after being beaten up by a group of teenagers who had set him up online to meet a 15-year-old boy for sex. It is unclear if he knew the youth was a minor and four of the teenagers remain in custody.

Some 250 incidents involving vigilante groups and alleged paedophiles have been recorded since July and police have had to help some people who have been outed as paedophiles to go into hiding because of the threats.