Eighteen arrested in mass brawl

Resident Julian Walley took pictures of the incident on Friday night

Eighteen people have been arrested after a brawl in an Oxfordshire town.

A spokesman for Thames Valley Police said the fight began on Wallingford High Street on Friday night before spilling into the market square.

Witnesses said police had at least five cars, two vans and a helicopter at the scene trying to control the brawl which involved about 50 people.

Police said that "15 males and three females" had been arrested during the trouble.

In a statement police said: "Officers were called at 2236 BST on Friday following reports of a large group of over 50 youths fighting in Wallingford High Street.

"Over 30 officers were deployed including the force helicopter, dog handlers and road policing officers."

Mark Lovegrove, who witnessed the police activity, told BBC News: "Police instructed all pubs to close and said they would arrest anyone that tried to enter the town centre.

Mr Walley, who lives locally, said the area was "ablaze with police"

"Just before midnight, cars pulled off from various areas around town into the centre - and on driving past, a lady was lying in the road injured.

"There was a police helicopter, police with dogs, riot vans and a police tow-truck. It appeared to be a major incident of some kind."

Ronnie Jones, from Wallingford, told BBC News: "We saw the police cars drive past the pub - there was seven of them and then two police vans followed.

"Then we heard the police helicopter - it made quite a racket. Wallingford is normally quite a quiet place."