TERRIFIED revellers and staff were forced to dodge flying beer bottles and furniture when match-day mayhem erupted in a town centre pub.

Tables and chairs were thrown during the brawl in the Adelphi, on Blackburn Boulevard, as about 40 Blackburn and Stockport fans clashed on Saturday night.

Landlord Trevor Hannon dialled 999 as soon as the violence exploded around 8pm.

He said: "It was a massive riot. I have never seen anything like it. Furniture and bottles were flying everywhere and they even picked up a cast-iron table base and chucked that.

"It started because there were some Stockport fans having a drink in the pub when a gang of about 20 Rovers fans came in. I think they thought they were Burnley fans who had changed trains here on their way back from Wigan and one of them said: 'Well, look what we have here'.

"I immediately ran for the phone to call the police and ducked down behind the bar. There were about 40 of them battling altogether and I'm surprised more people were not hurt because the pub was packed. Four coachloads of people had arrived on Christmas do's and hen nights and they were all in the firing line."

Two people were injured in the fight, including a 38-year-old Blackburn man who was hit several times with a bottle and taken to Blackburn Royal Infirmary with wounds to the back of his head, left eye and right hand.

Mr Hannon went on: "I initially felt sorry for the Stockport fans because they were not doing anyone any harm, but they did retaliate and were chucking things back towards ordinary members of the public who had done nothing wrong. "The man who was taken to hospital was simply an innocent passer-by and he got a bottle in his face."

A police spokesman said two people were arrested following the incident.

He went on: "It appears a group of about 20 Blackburn fans had gone into the pub to find some Stockport fans and mayhem broke out.

"Bottles were being thrown and windows broken and at one stage a table was lobbed through the door.

"Virtually everyone from the station attended and two people were arrested. They have been charged with public order offences and will be detained until they can be brought before court today."

Mr Hannon said the fight had caused more than £1,000 damage to the pub, including two smashed windows, as well as broken optics, furniture and big screen television system used to show live football games.

He added: "I will certainly be employing bouncers on the door every time there is a football match from now on."

Two men were due to appear in court in relation with the incident today.

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