2:51pm Wednesday 5th March 2008
By Lois Avery
ARMED police officers were called to Malmesbury town centre on Saturday night to break up a brawl involving 50 youths.
The trouble started in The Guildhall wine bar in Oxford Street when staff asked a group of lads from Chippenham for proof of age.
A confrontation began and the group was set upon by other males from the Malmesbury area.
The fracas exploded out the doors of the wine bar onto the street resulting in what one eyewitness described as a scene from the Wild Wild West.
Police from Malmesbury, Wootton Bassett, and Cricklade were called to break the gang up and were supported by an armed response unit.
Landlord Colin Pike said: "We have had a problem of late with people under age sneaking in and I had a good chat with the staff and we have been extra vigilant lately.
"We had a mob of lads in from Chippenham and I asked for ID.
"Not all of them had it so I said they could stay but no alcohol and they then started nicking other people's pints.
"I then asked them to leave and that's when it all kicked off.
"They threatened one of my staff saying they'd come back and knife him."
Mr Pike also said he would like to see more police at weekends in the town centre and he has also called for CCTV to help deter trouble "I'm trying to take some positive out of this though and show people we won't put up with underage drinking.
"I'm a bit damned if I do and damned if I don't but at the end of the day it is my pub and my license on the line if I don't take it seriously."
Brian Slade, an owner of Abbey Taxi's was working when the brawl took place, and said: "It really was like something off the Wild Wild West. My drivers refused to go up that end of town while it was going on.
"There must have been a dozen police cars it spilled all the way down the town centre.
"I've lived in Malmesbury for 39 years and in that time things have gone from a well behaved group of people to total disorder.
"It is a known fact that they are serving people in pubs who are intoxicated.
"The problem always starts in the pubs and then spills out into town.
"I want to go back to the times when the police were walking around the town talking to people and they were the ears and the eyes.
"I've told my drivers to stay away from the problems and not to pick up anyone aggressive.
"Oxford Street is a total, total fiasco on a Friday and Saturday night and it's because people have no respect for the law."
Inspector Mark Levitt, at Wootton Bassett police said: "A group of youths came to Malmesbury not causing any trouble and they had gone into a public house and there was a question over their age.
"A confrontation started inside and other locals started attacking them.
"We had four arrests on the night and they have been bailed pending further enquiries.
"A number of persons are to be arrested in coming days.
"It is a very very rare occurrence in Malmesbury and we are not going to tolerate any violent behaviour."
Two ambulances were called to the scene and several people were treated for cuts and bruises but no one was seriously injured.
Police are still keen to hear from anyone who may have witnessed the incident on 0845 408 7000.
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