Men seriously hurt in sword fight

The sword is being held as evidence

Gwent police are waiting to question two men who were seriously injured in a fight involving a 3 foot long sword.

Officers were forced to use batons and CS gas to arrest one of the men whose head was so badly cut that he needed more than 300 stitches.

Police were called to a house in Varteg

He has since discharged himself from hospital, but the other man is undergoing micro surgery for cuts and bites to his arms.

The sword was being held as evidence at Pontypool Police Station after its part in a fight which left two men seriously injured.

On Tuesday night, officers were called to Varteg near Pontypool, to deal with a man with severe cuts to his arms.

Covered in blood, he had gone into a house to get help while they were attending to him, another man came to the door.

"As the officers came to the door they were approached by a male wielding a 3ft long double-edged sword," said Detective Inspector Mike Jones of Gwent Police.

Detective Inspector Mike Jones

"They spoke with him and tried to negotiate with him asking him to put the weapon down and surrender himself.

"He failed to respond to their requests. The officers then were forced to use CS spray on him.

"They sprayed him twice. This, again, appeared to have no effect on him, resulting in one of the officers striking him towards the legs with a police baton.

"The man fell to the floor, he was then disarmed and arrested. Their actions were very brave indeed when they were confronted with man waving a weapon of this description."

One of the men underwent micro-surgery at Morriston

The 51-year-old man was taken to Nevill Hall Hospital in Abergavenny, where he was given more than 300 stitches to his head.

The other man, 34, has undergone micro-surgery at Morriston Hospital in Swansea, for the cuts and bites he received.

Officers have spent hours questioning witnesses but have said they still do not know the reason for such a violent fight.

They are still waiting to speak to the two men involved.