This is the shocking moment a group of armed men brawled and clashed with weapons on a West Midlands street. The men traded blows as they wielded what appeared to be metal poles.
The violence flared on a residential street called Little London, in the Caldmore area of Walsall. It’s not yet clear when the fight took place but a video of the incident surfaced on X on Tuesday, January 8.
It came a day after West Midlands Police issued a Section 60 order for large parts of Walsall on Monday night, January 7, due to fears of “potential violent disorder”, said a force spokesperson. The order, allowing officers to stop and search people with no reasonable grounds, was in effect until yesterday morning on Tuesday, January 8, at 10am.
READ MORE: Walsall police given special Section 60 powers amid ‘fear of potential violent disorder’
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Footage showed five men involved in a fight, some wielding long, metal poles. The incident took place as daylight faded, with street lamps on in the background.
The video clip began by showing two men on the floor while another two traded punches and scuffled on their feet. A sixth man is seen running over to the two men on the ground, as one appears to say: “Get off him, get off him, get off of me”.
The brawl on Little London, Walsall
(Image: X)
The man appears to take a metal pole off one of the men on the ground and starts striking him with it, before the downed man begins crying out, and the sound of clanking metal can also be heard. The man then turns his attention to one of the two men who were fighting on their feet, still wielding the pole, the video shows.
During the incident, a man can also be seen trying to act as a peacemaker, holding out his hands and trying to get the men to stop fighting. A car can also be parked at the junction of Little London while the brawl occurs as traffic passes.
It’s unclear if the brawl was related to West Midlands Police issuing a Section 60 order. The force has been approached for comment
A spokesperson for the force said on Monday night: “We will be using Section 60 powers across Walsall this evening and overnight due to a fear of potential violent disorder. Section 60 powers allow us to stop and search people without the need to have reasonable grounds.
“The powers will be in place tonight until 10am tomorrow (Wednesday) and will cover the area of Walsall highlighted on the map. As always, our main focus is on keeping everyone safe. We will have extra officers on the streets tonight and over the coming days to offer reassurance.”
Inspector Phil Upton of Walsall LPA said: “We don’t use section 60 powers lightly, but we will use all our powers to ensure the safety of people in the area.”