10 hurt in chemical attack outside Leicestershire pub during mass brawl
The substance, believed to be ammonia, was sprayed after reports were received of men armed with baseball bats at a pub.
Sunday 7 July 2019 17:25, UK
Ten people have been injured, including three police officers, after a chemical attack during a mass brawl outside a pub in Leicestershire.
The substance, believed to be ammonia, was sprayed following reports of a fight involving a group armed with baseball bats who damaged The Cricketers pub in Aylestone on Saturday night.
All 10 of the victims were checked over for chemical-related injuries at Leicester Royal Infirmary and later discharged.
Five people, including a boy aged 15 and a 29-year-old woman, have been arrested over the incident.
Witnesses described how people started fighting and throwing bottles at about 10pm before a group of men armed with baseball bats arrived in a car.
One resident, who did not want to be named, told Leicestershire Live: "It's terrifying. It gets a bit rowdy sometimes and there is security telling people to leave, but it usually calms down after that.
"I also saw some older guys throwing bottles at the back of the pub.
"I then heard a car screeching to a halt outside and I thought it must be the police, but it wasn't. Three guys with baseball bats got out.
"It looked like one guy got dragged inside. I called 999 and then the police turned up.
"It's really scary, I had no idea there were chemicals involved."
Samuel Effah, 47, told the website he saw men get out of a white car carrying "what looked like sticks and they were beating other people".
"Then a lot of them ran away and the car drove off," he added.
Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service were called to the scene of the incident as a precaution, police said.
Two men aged 53 and 43 were held on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm, a 22-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of a public order offence and the 29-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage.
The 15-year-old boy was held on suspicion of possessing an offensive weapon.
All five arrested people remain in custody.
Police have urged anyone with information about the incident to contact them.