A YOUNG woman needed emergency surgery after her skull was fractured when she was hit by a flying bottle as trouble broke out in a town centre pub.

Police are appealing for witnesses to the brawl at the Borough Arms in Blackburn and are to view CCTV footage in a bid to trace the attackers.

Caroline Parker, 22, of Harwood Street, Darwen, had a metal plate fitted in her head at Blackburn Royal Infirmary after the incident on Wednesday night. Caroline, who got engaged to her boyfriend Chris Dydra on Christmas Day, was today said to be "satisfactory" in Blackburn Royal Infirmary.

Inspector Stephen Lee of Blackburn Police said there had been a dispute about someone getting served at the bar at 11.30pm.

Trouble broke out as a small group of men were on their way out of the pub. They started throwing glasses and bottles around and assaulting people. Caroline was hit on the head by a bottle while another woman was hit in the stomach.

Peter Rawcliffe, manager at the pub in Exchange Street, said: "It's usually quiet between Christmas and New Year but it was very busy. I was upstairs so I came down and got behind the bar, then I was told a fight had broken out. "I could see something going on, and there were quite a lot of people involved. The police arrived within five minutes and I didn't realise a girl had been injured until I started clearing people outside.

"Somebody had gone into the toilets covered in blood, and the toilet roll was all pulled out and covered in blood. We only got CCTV installed in the men's toilets last week and I will be handing the tape over to the police.

"There were a lot of new faces in the pub, who I wouldn't class as regulars, and most of the people involved had gone by the time the police arrived.

"A lot of people get a lot of drink down them at Christmas and it does tend to get a bit hairy. There was no damage to the pub, we just lost a few glasses."

A 31-year-old Knuzden man was arrested on suspicion of assault and has been released on police bail pending further inquiries.

Anyone with information should contact Blackburn CID on 01254 51212.

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