Malmesbury police sergeant Gavin Williams has promised to crack down on under-age drinking and anti-social behaviour after a brawl erupted last weekend.

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.

Nine youths were arrested three of whom were juveniles under 17-years-old.

Knives were found on some of those arrested, although they were not brandished.

Tough talking sergeant Williams said: "Some of the youths have been charged and bailed to court, some have been cautioned and the others have been issued with on-the-spot fines of £80. I am pleased with the firm police action taken. We needed to go there and arrest people. This kind of behaviour was unprecedented and will not be tolerated."

The loutish scenes involving scuffles and pockets of fighting began around 11.30pm last Saturday.

A disturbance started outside the Guildhall bar in Oxford Street, Malmesbury.

The pub was hosting a birthday party for 23-year-old Kate Smith, as well as a drum and bass music session in a different part of the venue.

But after the pub shut the crowd gathered outside and scuffles and arguments broke out.

Police went to the Market Cross where they arrested the ringleader, who cannot be named because he is under 17, while other youths scuffled with officers.

Sergeant Williams said under-age drinking was to blame for the violence.

He promised the police would stamp out the problem by implementing a new alcohol exclusion zone, and working together with landlords in the pub watch scheme to ban known offenders.

He said: "We have got to look at the licensing laws and see why these people were able to purchase these drinks. The district licensing officer has been informed and will be conducting an investigation.

"Saturday night would also have been an ideal opportunity to use CCTV. People would not have risked that kind of behaviour with CCTV cameras recording them. There has been a real decline in disorderly behaviour recently. It will not restart."

Mayor Patrick Goldstone witnessed the riot on his way back from attending from a civic duty on Saturday night.

He said: "I have never seen so many police cars. It would appear there was party in the Guildhall that spilled onto the street. This kind of thing is absolutely terrible happening in a nice friendly town like Malmesbury. What also concerns me are the constant un-substantiated reports of under-age drinking."

Colin Pike, landlord of the Guildhall bar, disputed there was a brawl.

He said: "It was pushing and shoving. There were a couple of young lads who were scrapping and I managed to push them away. A lot of it was sheer bloody mindedness. I have never seen so many kids.

"The majority of youths were not regulars in my pub. And although there were kids in my pub under-age they were not served alcohol.

"We have now adopted a policy where we will ask drinkers in our pub to open up their coats to see if they are carrying alcohol. Lessons will have to be learnt. I will not be giving any more drum and bass nights.

"We do everything we can to stamp out juvenile drinking."

But Ms Smith, who got caught up in the brawl, said she would be complaining to the police about their heavy-handed approach.

The telephone account manager from Swindon Road, Malmesbury, said: "I think the way the police dealt with it was wrong. They were heavy-handed. If the police had not been there people would have moved on. We were all caught up in it."