A jury has cleared three family members of involvement in 'argy bhaji' over a punch-up at an award-winning Indian restaurant.

David Pettett, 56, and his two sons Tom, 26, and 32-year-old Jamie were accused of affray at the Shozna restaurant in Rochester.

But David and Tom, both of Silverweed Road, Chatham, and Jamie, of Churchill Avenue, Chatham, were all acquitted.

Maidstone Crown Court heard staff defended themselves with pots, pans and brooms after trouble broke out from a large party of diners.

The customers, who were celebrating Jamie Pettett’s 31st birthday, had only been served with drinks and poppadoms when they were alleged to have accused waiters of being rude and abrupt.

The group of 22 had been boisterous and was asked to tone down their language at the restaurant in July 2015.

They decided to leave after criticising owner Jamal Ahmed and complaining they were treated disrespectfully.

But a “bit of argy bhaji” developed into a brawl as they were being ushered from the restaurant in Maidstone Road, the jury was told.

CCTV footage showed other diners fleeing from their tables to escape the violence, during which Mr Ahmed was punched in the face.

Prosecutor James Ross said it came to an end when waiters, kitchen staff and a chef armed themselves with kitchen equipment and a broom to force the party out the door.

Mr Ross said what began as a verbal argument with finger pointing and dissatisfied gestures at staff became a physical tussle.

“It was a moving scrum, a melee of people pushing, shoving and jostling,” he said. “It involved more than the three people in the dock, it involved lots of people.”

He alleged: “A full grown, fully developed bit of argy-bargy developed and the three defendants joined in for no good reason.”

Mr Ahmed, a curry chef, said his restaurant had a no stag party policy or large groups of men late at night but he welcomed the revellers because they were smartly-dressed and it was early evening.

But his feelings soon changed as the group became rowdy, swearing and imitating an Asian accent, he said.

During the trial it was revealed that the Shozna owner planned to serve the Pettetts with a civil claim for compensation for £52,100 whether they were convicted or not.

The restaurant was forced to close for the evening after the brawl, resulting in a loss of takings of up to £3,000.

Mr Ahmed, 44, said damage was caused to chairs, tables, glasses, hot plates, picture frames, a window and carpet.

"Diners were being attacked with all sorts - hot plates, pots, pans, everything" - David Pettett

He added that walls needed repainting and he had to pay £18,000 for an advertising package to restore the reputation restaurant.

Giving evidence, David Pettett claimed his party was not over-boisterous but said the atmosphere in the Shozna changed as food was being served and curry was splattered over diners' clothing.

They decided to leave but Mr Pettett said Mr Ahmed was aggressive, blocked his path and threatened to slit his throat.

He told the jury: "I leant forward and said 'Pardon?' and he said it again.

"As I moved forward an arm came up - I don't know whose arm it was - with a silver platter and smacked me in the right eye. I think it was a poppadom tray.

"My reaction was one more of shock than anything. I went to grab hold of him and my son had my other arm and pulled me back.

"It was like a melee, and with the big surge everyone just got pushed in.

"Diners were being attacked with all sorts - hot plates, pots, pans, everything. They (the staff) just wanted to start hitting."

Mr Pettett denied attacking anyone and added he declined to have a solicitor following his arrest as he had done nothing wrong.