The large brawl involving a knife triggered a large response from Merseyside Police (Image: Undefined)
Merseyside Police have confirmed the arrest of seven men after a massive brawl erupted in Kensington, Liverpool, late on Thursday night. The altercation, which began around 10pm, resulted in a 31-year-old man being stabbed in the leg, leaving local residents “distressed.”
The suspects, aged between 18 and 34, were detained at the scene on charges of affray, assault, and carrying a prohibited weapon in public.
Following community concerns, authorities are taking the grave incident “extremely seriously” and appeal for witnesses to step forward. A significant cordon is still in effect at the Edge Lane and Holt Road junction as police conduct house-to-house inquiries and forensic examinations.
The violent clash, seen by numerous passersby and drivers, occurred as many were entering or exiting the city. The Liverpool Echo reported a count of at least 17 police vehicles and five ambulances present, with one bystander remarking, “We were just coming down the road and we saw all the police cars. I’ve never seen so many police cars in my life. We have no idea what’s happened but we saw three people getting arrested and put in the back of police cars.”
Three men, aged 29, 19, and 31, have been taken into custody on suspicion of Section 18 assault and affray, while an 18 year old man faces additional charges including possession of a prohibited weapon in public. Two other individuals, aged 31 and 24, are also being held on suspicion of affray,
Police on the scene (Image: Iain Watts)
In the wake of the violent altercation, police are urging witnesses or anyone with doorbell or dashcam footage to come forward. Chief Inspector Paul Rannard commented on the ongoing investigation: “We are in the very early stages of this investigation. House-to-house inquiries are underway and forensic examinations and a review of CCTV footage from the area are being undertaken to ascertain what has happened.”
He further detailed the incident’s location at Holt Road and Edge Lane, noting the distress it caused to several motorists and callers.
“The incident happened at the junction of Holt Road and Edge Lane, and was witnessed by a number of motorists driving in and out of the city. We received numerous calls in relation to the disturbance and some of the callers were distressed by what they had witnessed. I would like to reassure those who witnessed the incident and the local community that we are taking this extremely seriously and [seven] people have been arrested.”
Rannard appealed for public assistance, stressing the importance of any footage that could be crucial to the case: “If you witnessed what happened or have any information, please come forward. Similarly, if you live in the area, or were driving past, please check your CCTV, doorbell or dashcam footage to see if you captured anything. Even if it appears insignificant, please get in touch as it could prove vital to our inquiries.
“We are determined to establish the full circumstances of this incident. While we do this, it’s vital that people avoid speculation, especially on social media, which could unnecessarily increase anxiety and fear in the community.”
was part of a statement issued by Merseyside Police. In the early hours, around 1am, the police confirmed: “We can confirm that seven have been arrested following reports that a group of males were involved in a fight in Kensington tonight, Thursday, 27 February.”
They added: “Just after 10pm, a number of reports were received that there was a group of men fighting in the street at the junction of Hold Road and Edge Lane, and one of the men was believed to have a knife.”
The investigation revealed that a group of men had assaulted a 31 year old man, who suffered a stab wound to his leg. His condition is not life-threatening.
Following initial inquiries, seven men were arrested.
Three men, aged 29, 19 and 31 years, were arrested on suspicion of Section 18 assault and affray. An 18-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of S18 assault, affray and possession of a prohibited weapon in a public place.
Another 18-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of Section 18 assault. And two men, aged 31 and 24 years, were arrested on suspicion of affray.