‌A statue raised in tribute to a British industrialist was erroneously pulled down during a farmers’ protest outside the European Parliament.

The “mechanic” is part of the monument to John Cockerill, a Lancashire-born steel baron who helped transform Belgium into a 19th century industrial titan.

More than a thousand tractors descended on Brussels on Thursday morning as farmers converged from across Europe to protest against low pay and environmental regulations.

The figure was dragged off the plinth by a small group of militant farmers who believed they were dragging down a memorial to one of the European Union’s founding fathers.

In fact, the statue – which has previously been targeted by Extinction Rebellion activists – was erected in 1872 in honour of the man credited with building Belgium’s railways and saving its wool industry.

A photo published by Belgian news outlets shows it lying on the ground next to wooden packing crates, which have been set alight. In another picture, it is blackened with soot as fires continue to burn in the background.

Riot police were deployed outside the parliament as tensions flared. Protesters were hosed down as they hurled eggs and stones at law enforcement.

By 9am local time, farmers had lit fires on Place Du Luxembourg, a roundabout in front of the European Parliament building.

“You have seen the farmers’ demonstrations. We need to discuss this at the European Council. The concerns expressed by farmers are partly legitimate,” said Alexander De Croo, the Belgian prime minister, as he arrived at an EU summit.

“They have already made a great deal of effort. We must ensure that they receive a fair price for the quality products they produce. And that the administrative burden on them remains bearable,” he added.

Viktor Orban, Hungary’s prime minister, met with the protesting farmers ahead of a crunch summit on aid for Ukraine, to support what he called the “voice of the people”.

“The voice of the people of the streets are not taken seriously by the leaders. It’s a democratic deficit,” he said in a video posted on his Facebook page.

“There’s a European election in June. We need a new European Parliament. We have to find new leaders who really represent the people,” he added.