Fifty teenagers received a knock on the door from police this week as tensions between Thanet and Herne Bay gangs continue to simmer.

Officers had been tipped off about a mass brawl at Herne Bay station last month and were out in force on the night to diffuse the situation.

They confiscated knuckle dusters and a baseball bat and took down details of ringleaders among the estimated 150 involved from Herne Bay and parts of Thanet.

But the officers are anxious the fight is not simply rearranged, and the 50 home visits were an attempt to draw a line under the simmering unrest. Letters were sent out to a further 20 teenagers.

Insp Gordon Etheridge said: “The purpose of the visits was twofold: one to warn the young people that this sort of public disorder could end up in serious injury, and two to advise parents what their children were up to and encourage them to take more responsibility for knowing what they are doing when they are out in town.”

He added: “I would warn young people that we shall continue to monitor the situation to try and ensure there is no repeat of the planned disorder.”