POLICE have arrested 10 men from the Sittingbourne and Sheppey area after a seafront battle in Brighton in which four people were stabbed. Ten arrests were made after the fight which broke out near the Palace Pier early yesterday morning.

Sussex police say at least 15 men and one women were involved in the incident. The fight broke out as a group of 10 men from Swale, aged between 19 and 50, were getting into a mini-bus on the concourse near the pier after a night in the town. Five people, all from the Burgess Hill area, were taken to hospital, four with stab wounds, including one with a punctured lung, and another with a head injury.

The 10 men from Swale were arrested in the centre of Brighton shortly after the incident and were taken to Brighton's John Street police station for questioning.

It is not known at this stage whether anyone has been charged with any offences. Sussex police spokesman, Det Sgt Dobs O'Brien said: "It is unusual to have so many people involved in this type of incident and we responded with a large operation to recover evidence from the scene. This happened at a very busy time in Brighton, just as the clubs were closing, and we are appealing for people who witnessed the fight to come forward."

Det Insp Russ Bagley said: "It was nasty incident. There appears to have been an exchange of words between the two groups which resulted in a melee and weapons were used."