Mass brawl forces Musselburgh street to close

A MAIN road had to be closed for two hours after a drunken brawl left a man unconscious.

Police shut off Musselburgh High Street after the eight-man fight spilled out from The Burgh Arms at 11.45pm on Saturday night. Revellers flocked to witness the mass punch-up which allegedly saw six men take on two others.

One man was badly beaten, which resulted in the main road being closed while emergency services provided treatment.

Manager Andrew Mcvey, from the nearby Sportsman bar, said: “It all began in the run-up to closing time.

“Our own place emptied as everyone ran out to see what was going on. There must have been a crowd of around 60 people watching it.

“Six men were beating up another two and one of them ended up in a bad way. I heard he suffered a broken nose and was knocked unconscious.

“The street was cordoned off by the police and only reopened to buses and traffic around 1.45am.”

Musselburgh councillor John McNeil said: “The Burgh Arms has been the scene of numerous incidents in recent years and has been visited by the licensing liaison officer on several occasions.

“I had heard about this major incident with police officers calling in abundance. This matter will, I hope, be looked into thoroughly by the licensing board.”

A Lothian and Borders Police spokesman said: “Police are investigating an assault that happened in the High Street in Musselburgh around 11.45pm on Saturday, June 16, where a 29-year-old man was attacked by a group of males.

“The victim suffered a head injury in the assault, and was taken to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary for treatment.

“Police are appealing for witnesses to the incident, and we would urge anyone with any information to contact Lothian and Borders Police on 0131-311 3131, or Crime-stoppers in confidence on 0800-555 111.”