"Mass brawl" erupts on British liner after "patriotic party" ends in clown encounter

The BBC reports that a "mass brawl" broke out on the cruise ship Britannia as it returned to Southampton from the Norwegian fjords, following a "patriotic" party and an encounter with a clown. Several were injured and a man and a woman in their 40s, both from Essex, were arrested. On Twitter, a Richard Gaisford recounts what happened.

"There was blood everywhere". Violent late night brawl in the buffet onboard @pocruises

Britannia left staff who intervened injured, as passengers used furniture and plates as weapons. Witnesses told me they were so frightened they had to hide, as family groups fought.

The violence occurred on the final leg of a week long cruise to Norway's fjords. I became aware of trouble when officers made an emergency tannoy at 2AM for security staff to rush to the 16th floor restaurant. I went too and found passengers shocked by what they'd seen. One witness, part of a group involved in the trouble, explained to staff that things kicked off when another passenger appeared dressed as a clown. This upset one of their party because they'd specifically booked a cruise with no fancy dress. It led to a violent confrontation.

It's not clear what happened to the clown, but I'm certain we'll find out.