Mass brawl erupts at Tamworth pub on Super Saturday with punches thrown

Onlookers cried 'oh my god' as drinkers jostled at the Three Tuns pub in Tamworth, near Birmingham
Police were called to the brawl at the Three Tuns, Tamworth
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Ewan Somerville5 July 2020

This is the shocking moment a mass brawl broke out in a pub beer garden as punters revelled in their new freedoms on “Super Saturday”.

Punches were thrown at the Three Tuns, Tamworth, which had opened only hours earlier after 104 days shut.

An onlooker filming the scene cried “oh my god” as around a dozen drinkers jostled, yelled and threw each other against metal railings.

Social media users called it “disgraceful” with one warning: “Hold on to your hats another lockdown coming."

Staffordshire Police told the Standard there were "lots of upset people" and "smashed glass" upon their arrival, but the fighting had ended and no arrests were made.

“The licensee said she was going to reduce the numbers and not allow any outside drinking" the force said.

Trouble flared at some pubs across the country as drinkers - some of whom began in the early morning - lost control and cast social distancing rules aside.

John Apter, chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said the scenes showed it was “crystal clear that drunk people can’t/won’t socially distance”.

In a furious tweet after his night shift in Southampton city centre, he said he was met with “angry drunks, fights, more angry drunks and was called a fascist pig by somebody we tried to help”.

The police leader, who represents serving officers across the country, said he knew of other officers who had been assaulted.

It came as NHS England chief executive Sir Simon Stevens said the health service was preparing for a second wave of infections, while Professor Chris Whitty, England's chief medical officer, warned reopening pubs was not "risk-free".

A pub in Narborough, Leicestershire, had to shut early after a punter was assaulted and suffered neck injuries.

Crowds spilled out into the streets in Soho, London
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A fiery brawl reportedly broke out on the High Street in Brentwood, Essex, where another four people were arrested.

In London’s Soho district crowds of pub-goers poured out into the streets well into the early hours, showing no regard for the one-metre rule.

Rafal Liszewski, a store manager at Clonezone on Old Compton Street, described crowds in the area as “out of control”.

“Saturday started very easy. But you could feel tension in the air,” the 36-year-old told the PA news agency.

He added: "Barely anyone was wearing masks and nobody respected social distancing… to be honest with that many people on one street it was physically impossible.”

Meanwhile, a pub in Nottingham has been forced to close hours after reopening after a car was driven at a woman in what police believe was “a targeted attack”.

The scenes in Soho have sparked fears of a second wave
AFP via Getty Images

Officers cordoned off the Crusader Pub in Clifton following the attack just after midnight.

A woman was taken to hospital but her injuries are not thought to be life-threatening. A 23-year-old man has been arrested, Nottinghamshire Police said.

Met Police commander Bas Javid said: “The majority of the public complied with social distancing guidelines and remained vigilant. While some areas were notably busy such as Soho and Portobello Road, we are pleased there were no significant issues or incidents in the capital.

“A small number of premises decided to close early following advice from officers due to crowding and social distancing issues and we thank them for their responsible actions.”

Surrey Police also said so-called Super Saturday had passed without incident.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he was “pleased” that people had “very largely” respected the rules on Super Saturday but redoubled his call to “enjoy summer safely”.

Speaking on Sky’s Ridge On Sunday, Mr Hancock said: “Well I think that from what I’ve seen, although there’s some pictures to the contrary, very, very largely people have acted responsibly.”

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