Eight guilty of rival biker brawl

Passengers were forced to take cover from the fighting

Eight members of rival biker gangs have been found guilty of rioting during a fight involving more than 30 bikers at Birmingham International Airport.

Jurors at the city's crown court also cleared three other men of rioting and failed to reach a verdict about a fourth man.

The trial heard that knuckledusters, hammers and a meat cleaver were used in the fight in January 2008.

The men were members of the rival Hells Angels and Outlaw biker gangs.

Families returning to Birmingham from their holidays were forced to take cover Det Insp Iain Grantled The feud lasting for 40 years

A few gang members had spotted a small group of rival bikers on the same flight back from Alicante, Spain, and rung ahead for reinforcements to meet them at the airport in Birmingham, the jury at the five-week trial heard.

They turned up with weapons and innocent passengers had to shelter from the "gratuitous violence" that ensued in the arrivals area on 20 June.

Three gang members were injured and one suffered a serious head injury in the brawl.

Det Insp Iain Grantled, of West Midlands Police, said outside court: "This was a significant disturbance played out in the full glare of a busy international airport terminal.

"Families returning to Birmingham from their holidays were forced to take cover as the two groups attacked each other with gratuitous violence."

Rioting charges

Four Outlaws - Mark Moseley, 46, of Orchard Rise, Sheldon, Birmingham, Neale Harrison, 46, of Bell Green Road, Coventry, Mark Price, 50, from Westbury Road, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, and Jeremy Ball, 46, from Plant Street, Cheadle, Staffordshire - were found guilty of rioting.

Four Hells Angels - Paul Arlett, 35, from Penn Road, Wolverhampton, Sean Timmins 38, from Briewood Road, Wolverhampton, Mark Larner, 47, from Penn Road, Wolverhampton and Leonard Hawthorne, 52, Eve Lane, Dudley, were found guilty of rioting.

Mark Wilden, 45, from Coventry, Robert Haywood, 46, from Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire and Maurice Ison, 51, from Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, were found not guilty of rioting.

Jurors failed to reach a majority verdict on Kevin Timmins, 28, of Sedgley, West Midlands.

The men are due to be sentenced on 19 June.