Four men have denied being involved in a town centre brawl.

Police were called to the incident which broke out in broad daylight in Chatham High Street on May 26, 2022.

Evan Findlay, 24, Toby Able, 23, Eric Guerra, 22, and Ahmed Askar, also 22, appeared at Maidstone Crown Court yesterday (August 27) where they pleaded not guilty to an offence of violent disorder.

Findlay, of Claremont Road, Folkestone, also denied wounding Able with intent to cause him grievous bodily harm.

In turn, Able, of Maidstone Road, Chatham, Guerra, of Wyles Road, Chatham, and Askar, of St Michael's Close, Chatham, pleaded not guilty to attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent to Findlay.

All the offences are alleged to have occurred during the town centre brawl on May 26, 2022.

Also in the dock was 22-year-old Matthew Ribeiro, of School Lane, Maidstone, but arraignment on the charges he faces was adjourned, with a further hearing set to take place on November 7.

A sixth defendant, Iosif Dringa, 21, of Charsley Road, Catford, south east London, was unable to attend due to illness and is now expected to enter his pleas on September 16.

But Judge Robert Lazarus informed the five men in the dock that their trial, estimated to last up to three weeks, cannot start until November 23, 2026, due to the backlog of cases.

Having said he was "not happy" with the delay, he explained that for the case to get underway any sooner, another trial would have to be pushed further back "in the waiting list".

The defendants were all released on unconditional bail.