NEARLY 50 pubgoers fought each other as a York pub exploded into Saturday night violence, the city's magistrates heard.

Visiting partygoers from the North-East on a stag night and a birthday celebration were caught up in the massive brawl that left victims covered in blood.

The fight, at Edward's Bar, in George Hudson Street, last Saturday, was so big that police had to call for reinforcements to bring the situation under control. They eventually arrested seven North-Easterners and held them overnight in police cells.

The men's solicitors told York magistrates that they were not the ones who started the trouble. Magistrates fined three of them £100 with £55 costs for violent behaviour and gave four more 12-month conditional discharges with £55 costs for abusive language. Vivienne Walsh, prosecuting, said the pub's assistant manager called the police just before 7pm.

When officers arrived, one group of 12 men, covered in blood and with ripped clothing, was leaving, as was a second smaller group.

Inside, 30 more men were still fighting.

The police immediately called for reinforcements.

The three North-Easterners charged with violent behaviour threw punches inside the pub and one, Kevin Brock, lashed out at a policeman.

Representing Brock, Kevin Blount said his client had two swollen eyes and had no idea that the man pushing him to the ground was a police officer.

For the other two, Craig Sutcliffe and Daniel Fischbach said they were acting in self-defence.

Mrs Walsh said the four men arrested for abusive language hurled insults at the police outside the pub after staff helped officers to clear the bar.

For the four, Mr Blount said they were trying to tell the police they were arresting the wrong people.

Two birthday partygoers, from Loftus, Cleveland - Jonathan Richard Tremain, 23, of Boulby Drive, and Mark Allan Suscens, 21, of Cromwell Avenue - and Brock, 28, of Hepple Court, Blyth, who was on a stag night, pleaded guilty to violent behaviour.

Four others on the stag night from Blyth - David Michael Ross, 25, of Kingsway, Ian Meredith, of Hamstead Close, John Douglas, 39, of Craster Close, and David Elliott, 53, of Kingsway - pleaded guilty to abusive language.