TEN people have been banned from all of Malmesbury's pubs for at least three months following a fight involving around 50 people.

Members of Pub Watch, a neighbourhood watch type scheme operated between the publicans and Malmesbury police, met on Friday and decided to ban ten of the troublemakers, with half of them under 18.

About 50-60 drunken and disorderly people spilled on to the Market Cross as police units from two counties and seven towns were called to the fracas, which started around 11.30pm on Saturday, February 5.

Nine youths were arrested, three under 17-years-old. Knives were found on some of those arrested, although they were not brandished.

Landlady at the Rose and Crown, Carol Hudson, said the publicans had to stand up for themselves. "There were no objections from anyone at the meeting," she said.

On the juveniles, Mrs Hudson said she and her husband ask anybody they don't know in their pub for ID.

Colleague Vicki Ford, publican at The Duke of York, said this measure shows Pub Watch is working.

"If someone's causing trouble in one of the pubs they now won't just take it on to the next one," she said.

The ban came into effect after the meeting last Friday night.