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Santa brawl leaves two in hospital

A group of men dressed as Santa Claus were involved in a mass brawl which left two people needing hospital treatment.

By Sarah Knapton
Last Updated: 10:38AM GMT 22 Dec 2008

Police are hunting the gang of Father Christmases who were seen fighting in central Norwich early on Saturday.

The Santas clashed with another group of men, described as Asian or African, on a busy street in the city centre.

One man was taken to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge with head injuries and another needed stitches after receiving cuts to his face in the skirmish.

The trouble continued with small pockets of disorder reported in the city.

A police spokesman said: "The incident involved two groups of males. One of the groups were all dressed as Father Christmas, the other group were described as being of dark-skinned African or Asian appearance."

One man has been arrested in connection with the incident.

Police are keen to hear from any witnesses, particularly a couple believed to have seen an incident near the Olive Tree restaurant.

In 2004 police were forced to arrest five people when an annual charity run in Newtown, Wales, involving 4,000 Santas, ended in fighting.

Officers used CS spray and batons to break up trouble amongst up to 30 people and four officers suffered minor injuries.

Original Article: Santa brawl leaves two in hospital - Telegraph