Six stabbed in fight at Northampton bar Published duration 12 December 2014

image caption Six people have been taken to hospital after being stabbed in a fight involving 50 or 60 people

Six people were stabbed during a mass brawl which spilled across two Northampton bars on Thursday night.

A total of eight people were injured in a fight involving "50 or 60" people which took in the Faces bar and NU Bar on Bridge Street, at about 04:00 GMT.

Three people are being treated at University Hospital Coventry and the remaining five at Northampton Hospital.

Northampton Borough Council has suspended the licences of the two bars for seven days following the incident.

The trouble involved a number of people who had come to Northampton from London for a pre-arranged evening out, police said.

image caption Bridge Street was closed off by police

Det Insp Ally White said police were called at 04:00 GMT to a "serious public disorder" involving "around 50 or 60 people".

"The stabbings happened inside Faces nightclub and continued on afterwards outside in Bridge Street," he said.

"A lot of people came from London and as a result a disagreement occurred."

Manager of Faces, Robert Snajdr, said a small fight had taken place in the garden resulting in the participants being removed from the premises.

Shortly afterwards, he said a "major street fight" involving 40 or 50 people from a number of bars in Bridge Street took place.

"Drink-fuelled violence does happen. Last night was an example when it was not controlled," Mr Snajder said.

The council's licensing sub-committee later held an urgent licence review of both Faces and NU Bar.

image caption Northampton Borough Council has suspended the licence of NU Bar

Leader David Mackintosh said: "Having heard a summary of both cases the sub-committee agreed that the licences for both bars would be suspended for seven days.

"The next step will be to hold a full review.

"This will give our officers, Northamptonshire Police and other agencies enough time to investigate the events and determine what, if any, action is appropriate.

"We want people to be reassured that Northampton is a safe and welcoming town."

A spokesman for East Midlands Ambulance Service said the first of a series of 999 calls came in at at 03:57.

Bridge Street has re-opened to traffic after closing while officers searched the area and the club itself.