MEN brandishing baseball bats and snooker cues took part in a mass brawl in a busy street on Saturday.

Terrified shoppers were forced to run for cover as bricks and pint glasses were thrown during the violent skirmish.

A witness told The Northern Echo that up to 30 people were involved in the clash, which was thought to have been triggered by an argument over a game of pool in a pub.

The man, who asked not to be named, said he watched as about 20 people descended on Ramsgate, just off Stockton High Street, on Saturday tea-time.

They were confronted by up to ten men, who spilled out of a pub.

He said: "There were lads brandishing baseball bats, and bricks were coming down like snow, drinking glasses were also being thrown. It was really bad."

The area was busy with families who had been shopping in the town and were starting to make their way back to the town's car parks.

The man said: "People who had been shopping were just running for cover and sheltering in many of the shops in the street.

"It was pretty terrifying. I have worked on the doors of many pubs and clubs and I have never seen anything that bad."

It is not certain why the fight broke out although the witness said it was related to a game of pool in a pub.

He said: "It seems three lads went into a local pub and wanted to play a game of pool.

"However, there was already someone on the table and they said no.

"Instead of just going away, the three lads then went back to the pub with about 15 other people, who were all carrying baseball bats.

"The lads came out of the pub and were carrying pool cues, and it just went from there.

"It was unbelievable. My wife had been shopping and she was walking back up the street when it all started."

Inspector Jim Tate, of Cleveland Police, said that no one had been injured.

There were no arrests and those involved made off before police arrived. Anyone with information is asked to call Stockton police on (01642) 326326.