Children taken to safety as brawl with hammers and knives breaks out

CHILDREN were escorted from a cricket pitch in “tears” after a gang of youths armed with “knives, hammers and a garden spade” gathered to fight each other.

- By PATRICK EDRICH & EMILY CARUBIA

The incident happened on Friday evening during a junior practice session at Maghull Cricket Club, on Tommy Gent Way in the Sefton town.

The cricket club said around 50 children, aged nine to 13, were waiting to start their cricket session when a “number of youths” congregated on the pitch and “engaged in organised fighting” The children, some in tears, were escorted away from the pitch for their safety.

A police spokesman said yesterday: “We are appealing for information following a report of an altercation involving a large group of youths at Maghull Cricket Club on Friday 2 May.

“It was reported that at around 7.30pm a large group of youths aged around 14 years had converged on to the club’s field on Old Hall Lane, and some of the males were carrying weapons and began fighting amongst themselves. They then made off towards the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. No injuries have been reported.